Phil 3301: Environmental Ethics
Instructor: Fareed Awan
Fall 2015 Blegen Hall 235 MF 1:00-2:15pm
Email:
[email protected] Office: 858 Heller Hall Office Hours: T 10am-12pm
Grader: Kathryn Swanson (
[email protected]) Course Description: This is an introductory course in environmental ethics. We will use critical philosophical methodology to examine contemporary problems related to the environment, such as the treatment of animals, the value of ecosystems, climate change, conservation, and how philosophical analysis can help address environmental problems. The course begins with a question of value: What (if anything) makes nature independently valuable? How should we treat animals? Are other natural objects, like ecosystems morally valuable? A variety of answers have been put forward, and we will critically examine them. The second part of the course focuses on how we should respond to nature on issues of restoration, preservation, and conservation. And the final portion of the course deals with applied problems: population ethics, biotechnology, and the most pressing environmental issue of our day, climate change. This course will familiarize students with philosophical methodology, especially critical analysis, and cover a wide range of questions related to how people understand, use, and live in the environment. Textbook: Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works, 2nd Edition. Eds. David Schmidtz and Elizabeth Willott (S&W). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Moodle: The paper, skills assignments, and short reading responses will all be submitted to the course Moodle site. The site is accessible to registered students through moodle.umn.edu Additional resources, like a discussion board, assignment information, and other course resources are also on the Moodle site. Course Expectations: Our task in this class will be to delve into timely and often controversial material together through discussion. Doing good philosophy requires patience and effort. Understanding these texts requires multiple readings, copious annotation, and thought. What you should expect to contribute are the following: 1. Preparation – In order to make a useful contribution to the discussion, you must complete the assigned reading prior to class, reread the material if it is not clear, and think through critical examples.
2. Participation – Philosophy is challenging. The best way to learn is to ask questions and engage critically with the variety of arguments presented. You will be expected to contribute to class discussion and engage with the material. 3. Respect – Given the course material and the nature of ethical theory, disagreement is both expected and encouraged. However, you are expected maintain a scholarly and respectful tone. This means you should address the points presented in your peer’s arguments fairly and not attack that person’s character. Comments reflecting judgment about the character of the person presenting the argument are not acceptable. Evaluation: The course is graded out of 500 points: Short Reading Responses (10 – lowest 2 dropped) Skills Assignments (4 – Assignments distributed) Micro-responses (In class: 18 – lowest 3 dropped) Paper (1000 words) Final Exam (Cumulative)
80 Points 160 Points 60 Points 100 Points 100 Points
Every assignment, besides the micro-responses, should be submitted through the Moodle course page. The final course grade, i.e. the letter grade, will be based on the total points earned; you will not receive a letter grade until after the final exam. Grades will be formally assigned on the following basis: A/AB+/B/BC+/C/C-
Student performance was exceptional, relative to course requirements. Student performance was significantly above the course requirements. Student performance fulfilled all course requirements. Student performance is worthy of credit, even though full course D+/D/Drequirements have not been fulfilled. Student performance is insufficient to earn course credit, even if some F requirements are fulfilled. Students taking the course on a S/N basis must earn a C- in order to receive a grade of Satisfactory. Incompletes (I) will not be given except in extreme circumstances. Assignment Guide: Reading Responses (RR): You will be expected to submit 10 reading responses during the semester. Six assignments are marked as having a required reading response on the syllabus. The remaining four “open” reading responses are your choice, with some qualifications.
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The RR should do two things: (1) summarize the main argument of an article and (2) offer either additional support or development of an argument/premise or one critical objection, in the form of a counter-example, pointed question, or difficult case that serves to critically engage with the article. Maximum length is about 250 words, i.e. around 1 page. The six required RRs are marked on the assignment section of the syllabus below. They will be due before they are discussed in class, i.e. prior to lecture. You may only submit ONE reading response per lecture day. The additional four “open” RRs should be submitted before we cover that reading in lecture, excluding the short introductory pieces by S&W. For example, an “open” reading response for the material covered in lecture 2 on 9/14 is due prior to lecture. You may write about any of the articles listed for L2 (excluding S&W as stated above). The same content requirements apply to required and open reading responses. RRs submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. Graded on the basis of +(excellent), P (acceptable), - (marginally acceptable), and X (No credit/no submission) Of your 10 reading responses, the lowest 2 scores will be dropped.
Skills Assignments: Skills assignments will develop four areas of philosophical writing: Evaluating arguments, forming/defending a thesis, formulating objections, and analyzing applied issues. These will be approximately 1-3 pages (double-spaced). Micro-responses: Throughout the semester there will be 18 unannounced short responses. This will be held in class, at the instructor’s discretion. The lowest three scores will be dropped. Each response is worth four points. Paper: The paper should be approximately 1000 words, or about 4 pages double-spaced, and will require you to philosophically defend a clear thesis, provide a reasonably strong objection to your argument, and respond to that objection. Final: The final exam will cover all of the course material and will consist of multiple choice, true/false, and short answer components. Academic Honesty: Proper citation of all sources within your written work is required. The University policy on plagiarism is available online (http://oscai.umn.edu/content/plagiarism), as are additional resources on citations and how-to guides for formal citation practices, (http://www3.crk.umn.edu/services/academicassist/writingcenter/resources/citation.htm). If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, you should attend office hours to ask questions. Understanding this policy is your responsibility. Any assignment that violates the University policy will receive a grade of zero. Plagiarism is taken very seriously will result in disciplinary action by the University.
General Course Policies: Class Etiquette: Don’t do anything to disrupt other students’ attention, such as having side conversations, texting, etc. Email Communication: I will make every attempt to respond to emails within two (business) days. Office Hours: No appointment is needed for weekly office hours. Simply drop by. If you cannot make the regularly scheduled office hours, make an appointment with me via email at least 48 hours ahead of time. Additional Service: If you have a disability that requires special accommodations or other classroom modifications, please notify both Disability Services and the instructor as soon as possible. To notify Disability Services, call 612-626-1333 (on campus; x6-1333), email
[email protected], or access their website at: http://ds.umn.edu/index.html Absences: Making up in-class work following any unexcused absence will not be possible. Extenuating circumstances such as illness, University sanctioned travel, etc. that result in missed work will require official documentation of the circumstance. Notify me, in writing, prior to missing class. In cases of emergency where you cannot provide notice, notify me, in writing, and provide documentation as soon as possible. Late Policy: Extenuating circumstances that may result in a missed assignment deadline may qualify for an extension, depending upon the circumstances. You must notify me 48 hours in advance of a deadline if you would like to discuss an extension or as soon as possible following the unexpected/unplanned incident that necessitated the request (hospitalization, etc.) Only under extraordinary circumstances (such as hospitalization) will extensions be given.
Reading and Assignments Date
Topic/Assignment
Author(s)
Title
Source1
9/11 L1 9/14 L2
Part I: Environment And Philosophy Philosophy, Value, and Nature
n/a
Introduction: Ethics and the Environment The Roots of the Crisis
3-41
9/18 L3
Respect for Nature Animal Ethics
Required RRMatthews 9/21 L4
Animal Ethics and Expanding the Moral Community
S&W Lynn White
The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis
J. Baird Callicott
Environmental Philosophy is Environmental Activism: The Most Radical and Effective Kind
Shepard Krech, III
Pleistocene Extinctions
Lyman and Merzer
Mad Cowboy: The Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat
Michael Pollan
The (Agri)Cultural Contradictions of Obesity
Bill McKibben
Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future
S&W
The Last Man
42-45
Peter Singer
All Animals are Equal
49-65
Mark Sagoff
Animal Liberation and Environmental Ethics: Bad Marriage, Quick Divorce
Dylan Matthews
Eating chicken is morally worse than killing Cecil the lion
Moodle
Holmes Rolston, III
Values in and Duties to the Natural World
66-70
(continued) 1
Note: If different assignments are on contiguous pages, they are listed as a single block
9/21
Skills Assignment #1
9/25 L5
Animals
10/2 L6
10/5 L7
Christopher Stone
Should Trees Have Standing? Toward Legal Rights for Natural Objects
Gary Varner
Biocentric Individualism
85-101
Mosquitos and Harm
Moodle
Paul Taylor
The Ethics of Respect for Nature
102-122
David Schmitz
Are All Species Equal?
Holism
Aldo Leopold
The Land Ethic
Required RR - Naess
Arne Naess
The Shallow and the Deep, LongRange Ecology Movement: A Summary
Holism
Elliott Sober
Philosophical Problems for Environmentalism
Ramachandra Guha
Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A Third World Critique
Hessler and Willott
Feminism and Ecofeminism
Karen Warren
The Power and Promise of Ecofeminism
Gaard and Gruen
Ecofeminism: Toward Global Justice and Planetary Health
Kristin ShraderFrechette
Environmental Justice: Creating Equality, Reclaiming Democracy
Vandana Shiva
Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution, and Profit
David Schmidtz
Natural Enemies: An Anatomy of Environmental Conflict
123-132
132-152
Required RR - Sober
10/9 L8
10/12 L9
Ecofeminism
Environmental Justice
155-186
204-227
10/12
Skills Assignment #2
10/16 L10
Part II: Understanding Nature Wilderness
10/19 L11
10/23 L12
10/26 L13
Humans and Nature: Domination
Humans and Nature: Virtue
Humans and Nature: Simplicity
10/26
Skills Assignment #3
10/30 L14
Economics and the Environment
11/2 L15
Economics and the Environment 2 Required RR – Nussbaum
Objections and Value
Moodle
S&W
Intro
228-258
John Muir
Hetch Hetchy Valley
Martin Krieger
What’s Wrong With Plastic Trees
Elizabeth Willot
Restoring Nature, Without Mosquitos?
Val Plumwood
Being Prey
Freya Matthews
Letting The World Grow Old: An Ethos of Countermodernity
Michelle Nijhuis
Bonfire of the Superweeds
Ronald Sandler
Environmental Virtue Ethics
Thomas Hill, Jr.
Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments
Mark Sagoff
Do We Consume Too Much?
Gambrel and Cafaro
The Virtue of Simplicity
266-285
286-300
302-339
Restoration
Moodle
Steven Kelman
Cost Benefit Analysis: An Ethical Critique
350-370
Andrew Brennan
Moral Pluralism and the Environment
Martha Nussbaum
The Costs of Tragedy: Some Moral Limits of Cost-Benefit Analysis
David Schmitz
A Place for Cost-Benefit Analysis
370-400
11/6 L16 11/9 L17
11/13 L18
11/16 L19
Scarcity
Garret Hardin
The Tragedy of the Commons
David Schmitz
The Institution of Property
Carol Rose
Liberty, Property, and Environmentalism
Dan Shahar
Free-Market Environmentalism
Case Study: Kruger
David Schmitz
When Preservation Doesn’t Preserve
Required RR – S&W
S&W
Reinventing the Commons: An African Case Study
Population Ethics
S&W
Intro: Population Bomb
Peter Singer
Famine, Affluence, and Morality
Garrett Hardin
Living on a Lifeboat
Scarcity 2
401-420
420-446
449-471
484-504
11/16
Skills Assignment #4
Humans and Nature
Moodle
11/20 L20
Part III: Responding to Holmes Rolston, III Environmental Problems Henry Shue Population Ethics
Feeding People Versus Saving Nature
504-536
11/23 L21
11/27 11/30 L22
Climate Change: The Science
Global Environmental and International Inequality
Elizabeth Willott
Recent Population Trends
IPCC
Executive Summary
Nicholas Stern, et al.
The Stern Review
Thanksgiving Holiday Climate Change
No class Dale Jamieson
Required RR Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner
Ethics, Public Policy, and Global Warming A Perfect Moral Storm
Moodle
538-557
12/4 L23
12/7 L24
12/11 L25
12/14 L26
12/19
Climate Change: Applying Philosophy
Cities and Energy
Biotechnology
Environmental Activism and Philosophy: Cases and Problems
Final Exam
Andrew Light
Climate Ethics For Climate Action
John Christy
Testimony, U.S. House Ways and Means Committee
Jessica Woolliams
Designing Cities and Buildings as if They Were Ethical Choices
Lynn Scarlett
Making Waste Management Pay
Robert Glennon
Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to Do About It
Garland Cox
Energy
Tom Fournier
Air Pollution Abatement Strategies
Gary Comstock
Ethics and Genetically Modified Foods
Thompson and Hannah
Novel and Normal Risk: Where Does Nanotechnology Fit In
Paul Watson
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Kate Rawles
The Missing Shade of Green
Andrew Light
Taking Environmental Ethics Public
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Location: Blegen 235 (Note this is a Saturday Exam)
557-570
570-595
598-622
639-664