If the problem of the sustainable society and sustainable growth is to be fully incorporated into the various overall conceptions we have of ourselves and our place in the world, it is questionable whether we can afford to neglect its relation to philosophy. It is within this context that we attempt to argue two points which may or may not be obvious, depending on the angle of approach to the concept of the sustainable society. (1) While the call for new knowledge (new in both the quantitative and qualitative sense) is the most obvious requirement for any progress towards a sustainable society, we cannot expect that such knowledge will be transphilosophical or transideological (i.e. universally acceptable) in any absolute sense. (2) It is far from clear whether any conception of eco-philosophy can fit the bill for a new philosophical underpinning and focusing of our thought and action; the re-focusing and enlargement of our philosophical traditions seems to be a more viable project. Historically, the threat of nuclear conflict in the 1950s and 1960s may serve as the closest possible analogy: hardly any new philosophy was a direct product of such a threat; however, it clearly strengthened various efforts towards so-called "philosophy of man".
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