environmental ethics - iit bombay
TRANSCRIPT
HS 200HS 200
►Philosophy Philosophy Environmental Ethics Environmental Ethics
►SociologySociology
►EconomicsEconomics
Examination Examination
►Environmental EthicsEnvironmental Ethics►2121stst January 20 14 (Tuesday, 11.30) January 20 14 (Tuesday, 11.30)
►Objective type questions 16 marks Objective type questions 16 marks
Environmental Philosophy/ EthicsEnvironmental Philosophy/ Ethics
►Ethics of environmentEthics of environment
►Duties to ecosystems Duties to ecosystems
►Duties to future generationsDuties to future generations
►Moral status of nonhuman animals Moral status of nonhuman animals
Why these duties are important?Why these duties are important?
►Use of pesticides Use of pesticides ►Fertilizer dependence Fertilizer dependence ►Pollution Pollution ►Climate Change Climate Change ► Increasing Human Population Increasing Human Population ►Loss of species and threats to earth’s remaining Loss of species and threats to earth’s remaining
biodiversitybiodiversity
Therefore Therefore
►Rationality, Values and the Environment Rationality, Values and the Environment
►New Moral Responsibility New Moral Responsibility
►For example: For example: ► food security food security → Mass production → proper → Mass production → proper
use of technology, fertilizers,…. use of technology, fertilizers,…. ►Water crisis : use of river Water crisis : use of river
Environment Environment
►Environment as a Environment as a fieldfield of significance of significance
►Environment as an Environment as an objectiveobjective phenomenon phenomenon
David Cooper’s “The Idea of Environment” David Cooper’s “The Idea of Environment” 19921992
►The Global Environment The Global Environment ►Largeness of scope…. the biosphere, the order of Largeness of scope…. the biosphere, the order of
things, ….things, ….
►This concept has grown with the idea of This concept has grown with the idea of cosmopolitanismcosmopolitanism making people citizen of making people citizen of everywhere. everywhere.
Cooper talks about Cooper talks about Three things Three things
►Animal Welfare and economic justice for the Third Animal Welfare and economic justice for the Third WorldWorld
►Nature as an object of Reverence Nature as an object of Reverence ►Sense of Oneness Sense of Oneness
►Realistic account of Realistic account of noharm ethical principle noharm ethical principle with traditional idea of with traditional idea of caringcaring one’s environment to one’s environment to be applied to animals, nature… by endorsing be applied to animals, nature… by endorsing moral moral recognition recognition and understanding their significance. and understanding their significance.
Conceptual ObservationConceptual Observation
► ““We could perhaps imagine people who lived in We could perhaps imagine people who lived in relation to their natural environment, were at home relation to their natural environment, were at home with it, accepted its ways, benign and hostile, but had with it, accepted its ways, benign and hostile, but had no conception of it other than at its phenomenal level, no conception of it other than at its phenomenal level, for whom therefore the distinction between the for whom therefore the distinction between the environment as lived in and something out there was environment as lived in and something out there was not available.” Nigel Dower (1994: 151) not available.” Nigel Dower (1994: 151)
Environmental Philosophy Environmental Philosophy
►Man, Nature and Value Man, Nature and Value
Theory about nature (object and processes) Theory about nature (object and processes) Theory about human beings (over all perspectives on Theory about human beings (over all perspectives on
human life) human life) Theory of value & an account of valuation of human action Theory of value & an account of valuation of human action A method (standards the claim – to test, confirm and A method (standards the claim – to test, confirm and
reject)reject)
Form of Moral Extensionism to Form of Moral Extensionism to Ecological SensibilityEcological Sensibility
►Forms of ecological consciousness Forms of ecological consciousness
►Radical ways of putting environmental concernsRadical ways of putting environmental concerns
►Ultimate reconsideration of valuesUltimate reconsideration of values
New ways of forming ethics New ways of forming ethics
►RightRight►Good Good ►DutyDuty►Care Care ►Value to nonhuman beingsValue to nonhuman beings
(Aldo Leoplod (1949) (Aldo Leoplod (1949)
► ““The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, water, plants and animals, community to include soils, water, plants and animals, or collectively: the land.” or collectively: the land.”
►Need to change the conventional Moral TheoryNeed to change the conventional Moral Theory
Shift from anthropocentricism to Life Shift from anthropocentricism to Life centric world viewcentric world view
►Objectively valuableObjectively valuable►Telos Telos ►Community and systemsCommunity and systems►Sense of deep Sense of deep ecologicalecological selfself
Biological, economic and the social Biological, economic and the social