PHL3810

Philosophy and the environment

Karen Green

8 points
* 2 hours per week
* First semester
* Clayton
* Prerequisites: PHL2150 and another 8-point philosophy subject, unless special permission is given by the head of department

Objectives The aim of this subject is to introduce students to contemporary philosophical issues and movements that have arisen as a result of the environmental crisis. These include animal liberation, deep ecology, biocentrism, ecofeminism, population control and environmental justice.

Synopsis It has been argued that the ethical issues which are raised by the environmental crisis stretch the traditional philosophical concepts, that have been the basis of ethics, to breaking point, and this has led to calls for a completely new ethic based on environmental values and a non-anthropocentric world view. The subject examines a number of such prosposals and the moral concepts they introduce: in particular, animal rights, the intrinsic value of nature, eco-feminism and ecological holism. Various ethical dilemmas which arise in relation to our treatment of animals and the environment, the rights of humans, the rights of animals and our relations to the third world are discussed. So too are some meta-ethical issues which result from the thought that there is intrinsic value in nature.

Assessment Two essays (3000 words each): 50% each
* One essay may optionally be replaced by a 3-hour examination

Prescribed texts

A collection of readings available from the department and on reserve in the Sir Louis Matheson Library