Environmental Ethics Introduction and OverviewSlide Number 2Slide Number 3Slide Number 4Slide Number 5Slide Number 6Slide Number 7Slide Number 8Slide Number 9Slide Number 10Slide Number 11Slide Number 12Questions?Slide Number 14Slide Number 15Slide Number 16Environmental EthicsAnthropocentrismAnthropocentrismBiocentrismBiocentrismBiocentrismQuestions?Trajectory of Env. EthicsThe Struggle for SpecialnessSpecies and EcosystemsBut there are more all-encompassing views…EcocentrismThe Land EthicThe Land EthicThe Land EthicDeep EcologyDeep EcologyDeep EcologyQuestions?Environmental Ethics Introduction and OverviewEnvironmental EthicsIntroduction and OverviewBenjamin HaleAssistant ProfessorPhilosophy Department and Environmental Studies ProgramUniversity of Colorado, [email protected]://www.practicalreason.com• Descriptive Ethics– Tells us how the world is– Anthropology– Sociology– Psychology• Normative Ethics– Tells us how the world should be–Philosophy– ReligionEthics• Philosophy– Appeals to reason• Religion– Appeals to the supernaturalNormative EthicsNormative Ethics• Consequentialism– Emphasis on consequences• Deontology– Emphasis on duties/obligations• Virtue Ethics– Emphasis on characterNormative EthicsPrinciple of Utility:“Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.” ConsequentialismJohn Stuart Mill• What should one do?• Good over Right• What are the ends?• Should we maximize, minimize, optimize, or something else?• What is the ‘good’?• Actual versus expectedConsequentialismJohn Stuart MillCategorical Imperative:FUL,“Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.” DeontologyImmanuel Kant• What should one do?• Right over Good• What are the duties?• Which have priority?• How are the duties derived?• What if the consequences are really bad?DeontologyImmanuel Kant“One swallow does not make a summer, neither does one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy.”Virtue EthicsAristotle• How should one live?• What are the virtues?• Who is to represent them?• How are the virtues derived?• What if the consequences are really bad?Virtue EthicsAristotle• Consequentialist approaches– Is the world made better? (Singer)• Deontological approaches– Are we doing the right thing? (Sagoff)• Environmental Virtue Ethics– Are we being virtuous? (Hill)Environmental EthicsQuestions?Should we dam it?Glen Canyon• Colorado river runs through it.• Home to many wetland areas, flora, fauna.• Damming it could allow us to control water flow.• Would allow us to generate electricity.• Could generate growth and development.• Would be irreversible.Glen CanyonWe dammed it. Were we right to do so?Glen Canyon DamEnvironmental Ethics• Anthropocentricism(Commoner, Bookchin, Hardin…)• Biocentricism (Schweitzer, Singer, Regan, Varner, Warren…)• Ecocentrism(Sessions, Naess, Leopold, Callicott, Merchant…)• Pragmatism (Light, Katz, Hickman, Weston, Norton…)Anthropocentrism• Social Ecology• Environmental EconomicsAnthropocentrism• This was/wasn’t valuable to humans.– Lost research possibilities– Lost beautiful natural wonder– Lost a natural cathedral– Gained energy– Gained a new kind of recreational area– Gained control of the Colorado River, etc.Biocentrism• Schweitzer: Reverence for life• Regan: Subject of a life• Varner: Entities with InterestsBiocentrism• Disrespectful/damaging to individual entities– Some animals and plants have rights or “considerability”– Some suffer– Zebra mussels (e.g.) and other invader species threaten current inhabitantsBiocentrism• Disregards other considerations:– Like species– Ecosystems– Communities• Raises concerns about equity arrangements between humans and non-humans.Questions?Trajectory of Env. EthicsExpanding the CircleThe Struggle for Specialness•Reason• Communication• Personhood• Sentience• Subject of a life• Having a welfareIndividualist TheoriesSpecies and Ecosystems• “Expanding Balloon Theories” urge all-or-nothing inclusion or exclusion• Ignore species•Downplay the significance of land and ecosystemsBut there are more all-encompassing views…Ecocentrism• Land Ethics• Deep EcologyThe Land Ethic“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”Aldo LeopoldThe Land Ethic• Emphasizes stability, integrity, beauty and biotic community • Based on evolutionary theory• Urges harmony with, not domination of, nature• Allows for species and ecosystems• Obligations accord with onion-esque “accretions”The Land EthicProblems• Too Naturalistic: Where’s the ‘Ought’ in that ‘Is’?• Too Demanding: What is permissible in this world? The Land Ethic as eco-Fascism.• Too Emotivistic: Based in moral sentiments• Shaky Foundations: Nature doesn’t sit still; It changes, and we have no clear way of knowing what it means to violate it.Deep Ecology“Every living being is connected intimately, and from this intimacy follows the capacity of identification and as its natural consequences, practice of non-violence ... Now is the time to share with all life on our maltreated earth through the deepening identification with life forms and the greater units, the ecosystems, and Gaia, the fabulous, old planet of ours.” Arne NaessDeep Ecology• Seeks to overcome anthropocentrism• Emphasizes interconnectedness• Allows for species and ecosystemsDeep EcologyProblems• Too Relativistic: Where do we find our ‘oughts’?• Too Demanding: What is permissible in this world? Deep Ecology as eco-Fascism.• Too Spiritualistic: Based in supernatural connection to Gaia.Questions?Environmental EthicsIntroduction and OverviewBenjamin HaleAssistant ProfessorPhilosophy Department and Environmental Studies ProgramUniversity of Colorado,