ABSTRACT
Images of social order figure in contemporary agricultural controversy in many ways. They are most visible in relation to questions about the structure of agriculture: about how many farmers there ought to be, how land and other assets should be owned and distributed, and what relations should exist between farmers and other sectors of society. For Wendell Berry, the idea of “society” is closely tied up with the concept of sociability, the cooperative relations one has with members of one’s family and community. A key area of disagreement between Berry and his critics is the practicality, attractiveness, and legitimacy of the way of living Berry advocates. More than any of the other writers, Berry emphasizes the common elements of the human experience. The literary classics are classic, he argues, because they address perpetual problems of the human condition. The possibility of responsible agriculture lies in a panhuman sensibility not limited to any single culture or class.
