Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Undergraduate Thesis - From Plato To Policy: The Religious History Of Environmental Thought And Its Role In The Deepwater Horizon Disaster, Isaac Peterson

College of the Environment Internship Reports

I will begin by setting the scene of Deepwater Horizon and the events leading up to and following the blowout, providing critical context to understanding why this disaster happened. I will then give a brief summary of the history of deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in order to provide some of the historical context not apparent in the actual event itself. Next I will dive into the rich history of Greek and Roman environmental philosophy, describing crucial theories from Plato’s Republic as well as thoughts from his student Aristotle, Pythagoras, and the Stoics.