DO DECONSTRUCTIVE ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY UNDERMINE LEOPOLDS LAND ETHIC

Recent deconstructive developments in ecology (doubts about the existe nce of unified communities and ecosystems, the diversity-stability hyp othesis, and a natural homeostasis or ''balance of nature''; and an em phasis on ''chaos,'' ''perturbation,'' and directionless change in liv ing nature) and the advent of sociobiology (selfish genes) may seem to undermine the scientific foundations of environmental ethics, especia lly the Leopold land ethic. A reassessment of the Leopold land ethic i n light of these developments (and vice versa) indicates that the land ethic is still a viable environmental ethic, if judiciously updated a nd revised.