Environmental ethics

Studiegidsnummer	187411043Y
Studielast	12
Voertaal	English
Ingangseis	A bachelor and the course Praktische filosofie or equivalent. Registered as a master student.
Studiejaar	2014-2015
Periode(n)	Sem. 1 Sem. 2
Onderwijsinstituut	Philosophy
Verzorgd door	Capacity group Philosophy and Public Affairs
Docent(en)	dr. M.D. Davidson
Inlichtingen	Onderwijsadministratie OTM Oude Turfmarkt 147 kamer 003a 020-5254952
Onderdeel van	Master Filosofie: Wijsbegeerte van een bepaald wetenschapsgebied Master's in Philosophy: Philosophy
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Leerdoelen

The ability to recognize, describe and explain a number of debates central to environmental ethics:

1. Problems of contract theories with future generations.
2. Problems of total, average and ‘person-affecting’ utilitarianism with future generations.
3. The ‘repugnant conclusion’ and the ‘non-identity problem’.
4. The implications of future generations for self-transcendence.
5. Our duties towards sentient organisms (animals) from a utilitarian and deontological perspective.
6. Our duties towards non-sentient and artificial organisms.
7. Garret Hardin’s ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ and ‘Life boat ethics’.
8. The international distribution of environmental utilization space.
9. Historical justice regarding climate change.
10. Individual versus collective responsibility for climate change.
11. Geo-engineering. 

Awareness of one’s own reflective disequilibrium, i.e. that theoretical opinions conflict with one’s own moral intuitions in specific cases.

The ability to critically assess the premises underlying the different positions in the aforementioned debates, and offer a logical and argumentative foundation for one’s own position in a paper.

The ability to offer a clear and concise description of an article by means of a short oral presentation and formulate questions for discussion.

The ability to actively raise questions and enter into discussions during the seminars, so as to contribute to a better understanding of the discussed subjects by fellow students.

Inhoud

A central question in ethics is how we should act when our acts affect others. In the context of environmental problems like climate change, there are three types of ‘others’:

1. Future generations. Although most people hold the moral intuition that we have duties towards those who are as yet unborn, it proves to be highly problematic to provide a theoretical foundation for such intuitions. Among other topics, we will discuss Parfit’s ‘non-identity problem’, different interpretations of utilitarianism, and the relation between care for future generations and our need for self-transcendence.

2. Nature. Do we have duties towards other sentient species? Or do we even have duties towards all life forms? What is the characteristic that makes live morally considerable? We will discuss the ideas of Singer, Regan, Goodpaster, Taylor and others.

3. Other people and states. When we agree that we ought to reduce pressures on the environment, how then should we allocate responsibilities and costs? We will discuss Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons, the Lockean proviso, duties for birth control and various views on intra-generational justice.

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For course registration period see the A-Z list of your program: www.student.uva.nl

It is obligatory to attend the first class of each course. Students who fail to attend without notifying the lecturer lose their place on the course.

Werkvorm

Lecture/seminar

Each meeting consists of two parts that each start with an oral presentation by one of the students in which one of the texts is discussed. The presentation is the prelude to the joint discussion. Central to this course is Rawls’ idea of reflective equilibrium: if theoretical considerations do not match moral intuitions in a specific case, there is work to do.

Contacturen

Onderwijstijden

Before the start of the semester, please consult the schedule for the time and place of the courses: https://rooster.uva.nl

Studiemateriaal

Articles that are available on Blackboard.

Toetsvorm

Students are judged on the basis of their oral presentations, their active participation during the seminars and their final paper. The first two grades each determine a quarter of the final grade; the final paper determines half the final grade.