ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

Catalog description

This course explores the moral dimensions of human relationships with the rest of the natural world and with our built environments. Students evaluate the grounds and effectiveness of different normative approaches to environmental questions, such as: What is meant by the term “nature”? What is the appropriate human relationship to nature? What, if anything, justifies human responsibilities to nature? What kinds of measures can and should humans take to improve the condition of the environment, including built environments? What are the morally relevant factors in grounding these measures in human-centered (anthropocentric) or nature-centered (biocentric) worldviews? (4 credits)