The rather voluminous writings on the ecological problem have failed so far to examine the philosophical implications of the crisis. The author of this article views the problem in the theoretical perspective of liberalism and its institutional expression in the American constitution and reflects on its responsibility for the failure of contemporary measures to protect the environment. Though she does not presume to offer a solution, she suggests ways of thinking about man's relationship to nature and calls attention to insights offered by the classical tradition that are relevant to the need for proper limits of human action prerequisite for a solution of the ecological problem.