Explain what you have learned to another person. You are to have a conversation with someone about your learning! So, you need to request of a peer, a family member, a work colleague, etc., to give you the time to discuss your learning and then engage in further reflection and discussion. You need to prepare for that session by reviewing the content you found to be key in relation the Topics of the Unit doesn’t necessarily mean you will . That’s usually a focus on Ethics/Ethical Theory and a ’hot topic’. You should perhaps have some key definitions or examples derived from the Learning Unit material or the eText, but you need to limit direct quotations to about 10% of your paper. You would not want a friend to ask you if they could read their textbook to you, would you? Dialog – see how well you can explain your learning to another person. DO introduce the person you had the conversation with. “My Aunt Hattie learned a lot in her 80+ years. I chose her for this assignment because…”. Or perhaps, “There’s no way I was going to discuss Abortion with my ‘Significant Other’ so I sought out ___________, because….”
DON’T recreate the chat. That is, avoid a paper of largely “First I said, ____, and then Chantal replied ______. Then I responded _______. She then asked…”
Likewise do not create a ‘scriipt’ such as:
“ME: ‘ Hello Nico, I’m glad you are willing to do this!”
NICO: ‘Glad to help – I enjoyed taking Philosophy, but it was a few semesters back, and now I don’t think I know my Aristotle from an Aardvark!’
ME: ‘You’re too funny!” etc., etc., etc.
This week we delve into questions of whether and what our duties to the environment, or perhaps to ‘future generations are. While this is a relatively recent concern for humankind’s relationship and responsibility to Nature as a whole has been a concern for millennia.
This is an opportunity to express what you have learned about the Unit topic and how to apply your knowledge of ethical perspectives (“Lenses,” if you will) in support or in critique of the topic. Please do just that. Write a paper on what you have learned and discussed about “Revealing Ethics: Ethical Cures” for the environment. Note — there are multiple ethical perspectives, so please do a balance presentation of the ones that you found significant.
Topics in this Unit:
-The anthropocentric worldview critcized by Lynn White, Jr is found in western ethical theories, not just wester religion
-The “tragedy of the commons” refers to the eway that rational sefl-interested people will over-use and destroy shared resources.
-There are two general egoist approaches to the tragedy of the commons: use free-market methods to limit overuse by privatization of the commons and government regulation of the use of the ocmmons.
-Neither free-market privatization nor government coercion work well with a global problem like climate change.
-Kantian rights are usualy applied within an ahthropocentri framework that does not address global issues like the climate crisis adequately.
-Rawlsian enviormental ehtics is admittedly anthropocentric, but does not include the right of future generations.
-The natural law theory rooted in Thomas Aquinas’ philosphy is anthropomorphic, but natural law thoery that is rooted in pre-christian times promises to be less anthorpocentric and better able to address issues like climate change.
-Utilitarian cost-benefit analyses of enviromental issues are anthropocentric.
-Utilitarians from Jeremy Benthalm to Peter Singer believed that sentient creatures should be included in utilitarian ethical calculations.
-Singer’s sentient-centric utilitarianism is a middle way between anthropocentrism and biocentrism.
-Kant argued that only rational beings have rights, so moral duties to nonhuman entities are indirect, that is, based upon duties to humans.
-John Rawls’ Theory of justice is anthorpocentric, but promotes enviromental responsivility bases on our duty to figure generations.
-“Deep ecology” philosophers argue that all living beings have equal rights.
Some radical feminists are ecofeminists who argue that sexism, racism, and enviromental degradation are closely interrelated issues that need to be addressed simultaneously.
-Aldo Leopold believed ethics needs to be expanded into a “Land ethic” that recognizes the biotic community as having rights rather than being property.
-Leopold was a pioneer in the study of ecology and an ecocentric enviormental ethics.
-Although Leopold was avid hunter throughout his life, his view of hunting and the way we relate to the environment changed dramatically when he watched a wolf die.
-Leopold’s life and work were characterized by several virtues important to enviornmental responsibility: sympathy, humility, rspect and love and perceptivity.
-Leopold’s ambivalent relationship to hunting and preserving wilderness is part of the reason many environmentalists are attracted to his life and work.
-The Transition Community movement started in the United Kingdom and spread to cities and towns around the world to work out practical ways to transition from a fossil-fuel based economy to an economy suited to an ecocentric worldview.
-The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) includes some Transition Communities, but focuses on ecovillage development in almost every continent.
-GEN ecovillages are genrally more rural than Transition communities.
-GEN ecovillages share the core practices of praticipatory decision-making; holistic and integrative approach to sustainability, socially, culturally, economically and ecologically; and restoration and regenration of social and ecological relationships.
-Sunshing Ecovillage of Xuling, China, is transforming a dying farm village into an ecovilage committed to an ecocentric worldview.
