Environmental Ethics

Catalog description

How should we relate to the environment? How should we conceive of "Nature"? What moral status do non-human animals have? Does nature have intrinsic value independent of human interests? Are ecocentric worldviews like deep ecology persuasive or dangerous? How does the domination of the environment intersect with classism, racism, and sexism? How viable are green alternatives to capitalism such as social ecology, ecological economics, and degrowth paradigms? Does ecofeminism have liberatory potential, or does it overlook the experiences of women from the Global South? How do Indigenous and Asian philosophies challenge Western assumptions about the environment? What duties do wealthy nations have in addressing climate change? Is democracy crucial for environmental justice, or does the urgency of the climate crisis require more authoritarian approaches? What moral responsibilities do individuals have in the face of global and structural environmental problems? These are the questions we will explore in this survey on environmental ethics. This course adopts a global multicultural approach, engaging with various cultural traditions and thinkers from diverse backgrounds and identities.