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PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethics Spring 2014 MWF 8:00-8:50am, MUEN E064 Syllabus Instructor Chad Vance Office Hours: MW, 12:45-2:15pm [email protected] Buchanan’s Coffee (on the hill) What Is This Class About? This is an ethics course, designed to give you a basic understanding of morality, and moral issues, specifically within an environmental context. At the same time, more generally, this course should give you some of the tools that you will need in order to think critically, be rational, better argue for what you believe, and investigate the question of how to live morally. The course has three units: First Unit: Moral Duty and Sentient Life. We will begin by investigating the nature of morality in general, and ask: Are there such things as good, bad, right, and wrong? If so, do we decide them for ourselves, or are they already decided for us? Is morality simply about producing the best consequences, or can an action be morally wrong even if it has a good outcome? We will then examine two specific issues regarding our duty to end suffering in the world, which have a large-scale environmental impact; namely, famine relief and animal use. Do we have a moral obligation to prevent famine? Is it morally permissible to eat meat? Second Unit: Moral Duty and Non-Sentient Life. Suffering aside, how should we treat the environment itself? For instance, do trees have moral worth? Or landscapes? Or ecosystems? Is biodiversity intrinsically valuable? Does nature inherent aesthetic worth? Is environmental degradation a symptom of other forms of discrimination and oppression? Third Unit: The Ethics of Climate Change. In the final unit, we will ask what our moral obligations are with respect to climate change. For instance, what are my obligations at the personal level? At the global level? How ought we to distribute the burden of mitigating climate change? Is it immoral to have children? Do the interests of future generations matter as much, morally, as those of present people? Which methods of mitigating climate change are morally permissible? Required Texts Climate Matters: Ethics in a Warming World, by John Broome (2012), W.W. Norton and Company. ISBN: 978-0393063363 Required readings not found in our textbook will be posted under “Assigned Readings” as .pdf files on the course website, here: http://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil3140/phil3140.html

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Page 1: PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethicsrintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil3140/syllabus.pdf · PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethics Spring 2014 MWF 8:00-8:50am, MUEN E064

PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethics

Spring 2014 MWF 8:00-8:50am, MUEN E064

Syllabus

Instructor

Chad Vance Office Hours: MW, 12:45-2:15pm

[email protected] Buchanan’s Coffee (on the hill)

What Is This Class About?

This is an ethics course, designed to give you a basic understanding of morality,

and moral issues, specifically within an environmental context. At the same time,

more generally, this course should give you some of the tools that you will need

in order to think critically, be rational, better argue for what you believe, and

investigate the question of how to live morally. The course has three units:

First Unit: Moral Duty and Sentient Life. We will begin by investigating the

nature of morality in general, and ask: Are there such things as good, bad, right,

and wrong? If so, do we decide them for ourselves, or are they already decided

for us? Is morality simply about producing the best consequences, or can an

action be morally wrong even if it has a good outcome? We will then examine

two specific issues regarding our duty to end suffering in the world, which have a

large-scale environmental impact; namely, famine relief and animal use. Do we

have a moral obligation to prevent famine? Is it morally permissible to eat meat?

Second Unit: Moral Duty and Non-Sentient Life. Suffering aside, how should

we treat the environment itself? For instance, do trees have moral worth? Or

landscapes? Or ecosystems? Is biodiversity intrinsically valuable? Does nature

inherent aesthetic worth? Is environmental degradation a symptom of other

forms of discrimination and oppression?

Third Unit: The Ethics of Climate Change. In the final unit, we will ask what our

moral obligations are with respect to climate change. For instance, what are my

obligations at the personal level? At the global level? How ought we to distribute

the burden of mitigating climate change? Is it immoral to have children? Do the

interests of future generations matter as much, morally, as those of present

people? Which methods of mitigating climate change are morally permissible?

Required Texts

Climate Matters: Ethics in a Warming World, by John Broome (2012), W.W.

Norton and Company. ISBN: 978-0393063363

Required readings not found in our textbook will be posted under “Assigned

Readings” as .pdf files on the course website, here:

http://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil3140/phil3140.html

Page 2: PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethicsrintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil3140/syllabus.pdf · PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethics Spring 2014 MWF 8:00-8:50am, MUEN E064

Course Requirements

1. Exams (35%). You will take a mid-term exam (15%) and a final exam (20%).

2. Papers (30%). You will write two papers. The first (10%) will be a short diagnostic

paper, 600-900 words (i.e., 2 - 3 pages), and the second (20%) will be a longer paper,

1200-1800 words in length (i.e., 4 - 6 pages). Topics and more info: TBA.

3. Class Debate (10%). You will participate in an in-class debate. More info: TBA.

4. Quizzes (10%). You will take a total of 11 short reading quizzes. Your lowest quiz score

will be dropped; i.e., your 10 best scores will constitute your quiz grade (1% each).

5. Environmental Change Project (5%). You will make one change to your personal

life which positively affects your relationship to the environment, and then write a report

about your experience. More info: TBA.

6. Participation (10%). A portion of your grade will depend on your ability to come to

class (on time and prepared), participate in class discussion, and refrain from being

disruptive, falling asleep, sending text messages, or surfing the internet.

Course Policies Academic Integrity

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the

academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of

academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic

misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council ([email protected]; 303-725-2273). More

information on the Honor Code can be found at: honorcode.colorado.edu/about-honor-code/definitions

NOTE: Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both

academic sanctions from the faculty member (i.e., you will automatically receive an F for the course) as

well as non-academic sanctions (e.g., academic probation, suspension, or expulsion).

Disability Services

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability

Services in a timely manner so that your needs be addressed. Disability Services determines

accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and

colorado.edu/disabilityservices.

Religious Observances

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and

fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams,

assignments, or required attendance. Please let me know well in advance about any such conflicts, so we

can resolve them. For more information, see colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html.

Classroom Behavior

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those

who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. See policies at

colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html.

Discrimination and Harassment

The University of Colorado at Boulder policies on Discrimination and Harassment, Sexual Harassment and

Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff, and faculty. Any student, staff, or faculty member who

believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin,

sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, or

veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the

Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the campus resources available to assist

individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at colorado.edu/odh.

Page 3: PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethicsrintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil3140/syllabus.pdf · PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethics Spring 2014 MWF 8:00-8:50am, MUEN E064

Course Schedule

Below is a schedule of the topics that we will cover, along with which reading(s)

you should complete for each class meeting. There are page numbers next to

the readings found in our textbook. Readings not found in the text are marked:

(pdf). Please note the paper due dates, debate days, and exam dates in bold.

Unit One Moral Duty and Sentient Life Week 1

Mon 1/13 Intro/Syllabus/Arguments No readings

Wed 1/15 Ethical Relativism & Nihilism Dupre, “Relativism” (pdf)

Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” (pdf)

Fri 1/17 Utilitarianism Dupre, “Utilitarianism” (pdf)

Rachels, “Debate Over Utilitarianism” (pdf)

Week 2

Wed 1/22 Utilitarianism No new readings

Fri 1/24 Deontology

DUE: Project Proposal

Dupre, “Kantian Ethics” (pdf)

Dupre, “Prima Facie Duties” (pdf)

Week 3

Mon 1/27 Deontology No new readings

Wed 1/29 DEBATE #1: Famine Relief No new readings

Fri 1/31 Famine Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” (pdf)

Week 4

Mon 2/3 Famine Hardin, “Lifeboat Ethics” (pdf)

Patton, “Game-Preserve Ethics” (pdf)

Wed 2/5 Famine Pogge, “Responsibilities for Poverty-Related Ill

Health” (pdf)

Fri 2/7 Overpopulation Parfit, “Overpopulation & the Quality of Life” (pdf)

Week 5

Mon 2/10 Overpopulation No new readings

Wed 2/12 DEBATE #2: Animal Rights No new readings

Fri 2/14 Animal Rights Singer, “All Animals Are Equal” (pdf)

Regan, “The Case for Animal Rights” (pdf)

Week 6

Mon 2/17 Animal Rights Warren, “Difficulties With the Strong Animal Rights

Position” (pdf)

Cohen, “The Case for the Use of Animals …” (pdf)

Wed 2/19 Animal Rights Anderson, “Animal Rights and the Values of Non-

Human Life” (pdf)

Fri 2/21 Animal Rights Norcross, “Puppies, Pigs, and People” (pdf)

Week 7

Mon 2/24 Animal Rights No new readings

Wed 2/26 Review: Unit One Exam No new readings

Fri 2/28 UNIT ONE EXAM No new readings

Unit Two Moral Duty and Non-Sentient Life Week 8

Mon 3/3 Biocentrism Taylor, “The Ethics of Respect for Nature” (pdf)

Wed 3/5 Biocentrism Schmidtz, “Are All Species Equal?” (pdf)

Fri 3/7 Ecofeminism

DUE: Paper #1

Gaard & Gruen, “Ecofeminism: Toward Global

Justice and Planetary Health” (pdf)

Page 4: PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethicsrintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil3140/syllabus.pdf · PHIL 3140/ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethics Spring 2014 MWF 8:00-8:50am, MUEN E064

Week 9

Mon 3/10 Ecofeminism No new readings

Wed 3/12 Ecocentrism Leopold, “The Land Ethic” (pdf)

Fri 3/14 Against ‘Nature’ Vogel, “Why Nature Has No Place in Environmental

Ethics” (pdf)

Week 10

Mon 3/17 The Value of Biodiversity Russow, “Why Do Species Matter?” (pdf)

Wed 3/19 The Value of Biodiversity Sober, “Philosophical Problems for

Environmentalism” (pdf)

Fri 3/21 No new topics

DUE: Progress Report No new readings

Spring Break

3/24 – 3/28 Spring Break No readings

Unit Three The Ethics of Climate Change Week 11

Mon 3/31 Intro to Climate Change Broome, Chapters 1-2: “Introduction” & “Science”

Gardiner, “The Problem of Political Inertia” (pdf)

Wed 4/2 Uncertainty Broome, Chapter 7: “Uncertainty”

Fri 4/4 The Present vs. The Future Broome, “Democracy” (ch. 6: 105-112)

Broome, Chapter 8: “The Future vs. the Present”

(skip the sections on pgs. 144-147 & 153-155)

Week 12

Mon 4/7 Individual Responsibility Sinnott-Armstrong, “It’s Not My Fault: Global

Warming & Individual Moral Obligations” (pdf)

Wed 4/9 Individual Responsibility Broome, Chapter 4: “Justice and Fairness” (read

only pgs. 49-59) & Chapter 5: “Private Morality”

Fri 4/11 Individual Responsibility Jamieson, “Respect for Nature” (pdf)

Week 13

Mon 4/14 Procreation Young, “Overconsumption and Procreation: Are

They Morally Equivalent?” (pdf)

Wed 4/16 Future Generations Broome, “Who Suffers the Injustice?” (ch. 4: 59-64)

Parfit, “The Non-Identity Problem” (pdf)

Fri 4/18 No new topics No new readings

Week 14

Mon 4/21 Group Responsibility Singer, “One Atmosphere” (pdf)

Wed 4/23 Group Responsibility

Traxler, “Fair Chore Division for Climate Change”

(pdf)

Gardiner, “Ethics and Global Climate Change”

excerpt, sections VI-VII (pdf)

Fri 4/25 No new topics

DUE: PAPER #2 No new readings

Week 15

Mon 4/28 Geo-Engineering Gardiner, “Is Arming the Future With

Geoengineering Really the Lesser Evil?” (pdf)

Wed 4/30 No new topics No new readings

Fri 5/2 Review: Final Exam

DUE: Project Report No new readings

Thurs 5/8 Final Exam 10:30am – 1:30pm