Environmental Ethics and Philosophy World Views and Values

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Environmental Ethics and PhilosophyWorld Views
and Values
The highest good is the knowledge of the union
that the mind has with the whole of
nature. Benedict Spinoza
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INTRODUCTION

• Ethics is a branch of philosophy
• Morals Distinction between right and wrong.
• Values Ultimate worth of actions or things.
• Environmental ethics deals with the moral
  relationships between humans and the surrounding
  world. It also deals with the responsibilities of
  the present human generation to future
  generations of people other species to ensure
  that the world will continue to function in an
  ecologically healthy way.

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Intrinsic and Instrumental Value

• Intrinsic (Inherent - Innate) - Worth or value
  simply because of existence.
• Humans
• Instrumental (Conferred) - Worth or value only
  because they are valued by someone who matters.
• Tools
• Water
• Fish Animals

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Values, Rights, and Obligations

• Moral Agents - Beings capable of acting morally
  or immorally, and who can accept responsibility
  for their acts.
• Humans
• Moral Subjects - Beings who are not moral agents,
  but who have moral interests and can be treated
  rightly or wrongly.
• Children
• Moral Extensionism - Widening definition of who
  is considered ethically significant.
• Animal Rights

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WORLD VIEWS

• Comprehensive philosophies of human life the
  universe as well as the relationship between
  humans and the natural world.
• Example traditional religion belief systems.

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PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ENVIRONMENT

• Anthropocentric - Human-centered.
• Ex more worthy, disconnected from nature
• Stewardship - Custodian of resources.
• Indigenous peoples
• Biocentric - all living things have intrinsic
  values and rights.
• - Ex humans are unique (but no more worthy
  than other species rejects speciesism)
• Ecocentric direct indirect connections
  amongst species within ecosystems to be
  invaluable.
• Biogeochemical cycles (rocks, soil, water)

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CBC Canadian Case

• The Fur Industry
• Do you think that it is OK to wear garments made
  of or decorated with fur or leather, even though
  there are suitable synthetics that could be
  substituted for most uses of these materials? If
  you think that it is acceptable to wear fur or
  leather, then explain why. If not, why not?

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SCIENTIFIC METHOD
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• The Scientific Method is a way for us to DO
  science. It helps us to answer questions about
  the world around us.
• It has six parts
• - Observing
• - Hypothesizing Predicting
• - Experimenting
• - Organizing Interpreting Data
• - Using Graphs Sharing Information
• - Communicating Results (Conclusions)

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Scientific Investigation
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Science as a Way of Knowing

• Deductive Reasoning - Starts with a general
  principle and proceeds to a specific case.
• Inductive Reasoning - General principles are
  inferred from examination of specific cases.

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Paradigms

• Most research is based on commonly shared
  paradigms - models that provide a framework for
  interpreting results.
• Eventually, anomalies and contradictions of
  paradigms arise and build.
• Typically new generations of scholars challenge
  old paradigms and formulate new hypotheses and
  theories leading to new paradigms.

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Technology and Progress

• Progress usually defined by increase in wealth
  and standard of living but often at the cost of
  pollution, rapid urbanization and poor working
  conditions, income disparity, social and
  environmental problems.
• Luddites - oppose rampant use of technology
• Neo-Luddites suggest science and technology
  cause major problems and we should abandon
  modern life

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