Philosophy 3515-001
Environmental Ethics
David Henderson
Purpose:
This course is a survey of some
of the recent lines of thought and debate within the field of environmental
ethics. We will consider such issues as the central matter of what persons,
groups, things, and systems are properly taken to have moral standing.
Certainly the dominant tradition of western thought and philosophy has been
that persons alone have moral standing—and that human beings are the one clear
case of persons. (They have been purported to be unique insofar as they use
language, engage in abstract thought, can attain happiness, or perhaps were
created in the image of God.) Thus, humans have traditionally been taken as the
originary loci of moral concern, with other things
being morally relevant to the extent that these things benefit or harm humans,
having consequences for their happiness. (Pollution is thought to be bad, and
the thought is commonly that it is so because it effects
human health adversely.) Of course, some have thought that this is too
restrictive an understanding of what are the proper objects of moral concern.
Classical utilitarians insisted that sentience was
enough to give something "moral standing"--thinking of pleasure, generically, as
the moral good, and of pain as the moral bad. For the utilitarian, that animals are included as objects of moral concern in
their own right, and one has direct moral obligations to animals. Recently, one
finds writers advocating the view that we should recognize a yet wider class of
objects as moral relevant--things such as species, ecosystems, mountains, and so
on. What kind of reasons can be given for such proposals, independent of the
enrichment of human life or the enhancement of sentient well-being? Do such
proposals make sense in terms of contemporary science: Darwinian biology? Ecology? What really are these "objects" that are said to
possess inherent moral value and standing? And exactly what is it to have moral
standing? To be morally considerable? Morally intrinsically valuable?
Texts:
Foundations of Environmental Philosophy: A Text with
On Reserve:
Des Jardins,
Environmental Ethics.
Rachachandra Guha, "Radical American
Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A
J. Baird Callicott, "The Wilderness Idea Revisited." (WebCT)
Evaluation:
There
will be 3 papers, each on an assigned topic (in effect 3 takehomes).
These will be progressively more demanding. The first will be largely
expository. The second will involve a mix of exposition and criticism. The
third will involve developing a positive position (along with the earlier
skills). Each will be due twice. Once for a grade and
critical feedback. The second time, with revision in
light of feedback, for a second grade. The first grades on each paper
will be worth 10% of the course grade. The second grades will each count as 20%
of the course grade. The remaining 10% will come from class attendance and
participation.
Schedule:
|
Aug 29th Background Ethical
Philosophy, K. chpt. 1 and Handout |
31st K. chpt.
1 and Handout |
Sept 2nd K. chpt.
1 and Handout |
|
5th K. chpt.
1 and Handout |
7th K. chpt.
1 and Handout |
9th K. chpt.
1 and Handout |
|
12th
Responsibilities to People Des Jardins,
chpt 4 (reserve) |
14th Nova:
World in Balance |
16th Nova:
World in Balance |
|
19th Des Jardins, chpt 4 and visit http://www.myfootprint.org/ |
21st An Environmental Ethics? K. chpt.
4 Regan and Midgley |
23rd Regan and Midgley |
|
26th Stone and Rodman |
28th Stone and Rodman |
30th Spindel Conference |
|
Oct 3rd
Animals--not (just) for breakfast? K. chpt.
5 Singer and Regan |
5th Singer and Regan |
7th Central States |
|
10th Warren and Rachels |
12th Warren and Rachels |
14th "Biocentric
Ethics" K. chpt
6, |
|
17th
Fall Break |
19th Varner and
Bernstein |
21st Varner and Bernstein |
|
24th The Land Ethic K. chpt.
7 Leopold (and Callicott) |
16th Callicott and Leopold |
28th Cahen and Sober |
|
31st Cahen and Sober |
Nov 2nd
More on Ecocentrism Des Jardins,
chpts. 8-9 |
4th Des Jardins, chpts.
8-9 |
|
7th Guha and Callicott (reserve) |
9th Guha and Callicott (reserve) |
11th Anthropocentrism Reconsidered K. chpt. 8 Gould and Norton |
|
14th Gould and Norton |
16th Hill |
18th Environmental Ethics and Policy. K. chpt.
9 Baxter |
|
21st Sagoff |
23rd Ecofeminism and
Social Ecology K. chpt.
10 Segal |
25th Thanksgiving Break |
|
28th Naess |
30th |
Dec 2nd TBA |
|
5th TBA |
7th TBA |
9th Scheduled
Exam date, final paper due |