Transcript Environmental Ethics http://www.aarongoss.com/sandersgoss/images/waterfall-web-environment.jpg Definitions • Moral Agents – Those who have the freedom and rational capacity to be responsible for choices – Those capable of moral reflection.

Environmental Ethics
http://www.aarongoss.com/sandersgoss/images/waterfall-web-environment.jpg
Definitions
• Moral Agents
– Those who have the freedom
and rational capacity to be
responsible for choices
– Those capable of moral
reflection and decision.
– Example: adult humans of
sound mind
• Infants and mentally infirm
adults are NOT moral
agents
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Definitions
• Moral Standing:
– If you have moral standing:
• Your continued existence or
welfare is valuable in itself
– intrinsic value
• Your interests and well-being
must be weighed when deciding
what is permissible to do.
– Example: humans of all kinds
• Babies, children, adults, old
people, etc.
• Women, different races,
different cultures
http://www.sflifeandjustice.org/images/fetus1.jpg
Definitions
• Moral Duties
– That which is owed
by moral agents to
those with moral
standing.
– Example: It is wrong
to kill our children
• because we have a
moral duty toward them
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Philosophical Issue
• Who or what has moral
standing, and why?
– Does the environment have
moral standing?
– Must look at criteria for
moral standing
• What moral duty do we
(moral agents) have
toward those with moral
standing?
– Different ethical positions
suggest different moral
duties.
Yosemite National Park
http://listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/yosemite-falls-na-park-ca.jpg
Ideas on Criteria for Moral Standing
• Membership in the
species Homo sapiens
– Humans have a soul
– Humans are moral agents
• and are responsible for
knowing right from wrong
– Humans are intelligent
– Humans have personhood
• and self-consciousness
– Humans have language
http://www.scienceclarified.com/images/uesc_06_img0297.jpg
Ideas on Criteria for Moral
Standing
• Sentience: the ability
to feel pain
– Therefore extend moral
standing to animals
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41091000/jpg/_41091412_gorilla_ap_416.jpg
Ideas on Criteria for Moral Standing
• Being alive
– Therefore extend
moral standing to
animals and plants:
– All living things.
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Ideas on Criteria for Moral
Standing
• Being part of nature
Grand Canyon
http://www.ohranger.com/files/imagecache/parkphoto_lightbox/files/parkphotos/GRCA_Gran
dCanyonHDR.jpg
– Therefore extend
moral standing to the
• earth
• ecosystems
• rocks
• rivers
• plants animals
• the entire natural
world
Ethical Positions
• Anthropocentrism:
Human centered morality
– Only humans have moral
standing
• intrinsic value
– The rest of the natural world
has use to humans
• instrumental value
Anthropocentrism
• Powerful argument for
protecting nature:
– Save nature to benefit humans
(humans depend on nature)
– Ex: Ducks Unlimited preserves
wetlands
– Ex: Saving the rainforests will
provide O2 and medicines for
humans.
• Problem: Would you blow up
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/CFJ/7081~Rain-Forest-Posters.jpg
the world if you were the last
human?
Ethical Positions
• Sentio-centrism:
Sentient-being
centered morality
– Only animals that feel pain
(sentient biengs) have intrinsic
value and moral standing.
• The rest of the natural world
has instrumental value.
• Both humans and sentient
animals have rights and/or
interests that must be
considered
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Ethical Positions
• Biocentric Individualism:
Life-centered morality
– All living beings (individual
organisms) have intrinsic value and
moral standing.
• Not species or ecosystems
– Humans are not superior to other
life forms nor privileged
• must respect the inherent worth of
every organism
Endangered Tiger
– Humans should minimize harm and
interference with nature
• eat vegetarian since less land needs
to be cultivated.
http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0310226/graphics/endangered.jpg
Moral Positions
• Eco-centric Holism:
ecosystem centered
morality
• The earth as an interconnected
ecosystem (species, natural processes)
has moral standing and intrinsic value
– deserving of respect.
• Individuals must be concerned about the
whole community of life/nature
– Humans should strive to preserve
ecological balance and stability.
http://www.eps.mcgill.ca/Images/earth_for_ESS.jpg
Patriarchal Dualisms
• Greek, Roman, Hebrew:
– Humans are separate
from
• and superior to nature
– Human, mind, rationality,
and man
• are linked and superior
– Nature, body, feelings,
and woman
• are linked, and inferior
– Justifies domination by
men over
• Nature
• Women
Aristotle
http://www.kidspast.com/images/aristotle.jpg
Ecofeminism
• Rejects Patriarchal Dualisms
– Males are not superior to women
• Humans are not superior to nature
– Male domination of nature and
women is wrong
• Both are related
– Must break the pattern of "power
over" relationships
• will benefit both women and the
natural world.
Acid attack victims
http://www.persecution.com/images/newsimages/GirlAcid2.JPG
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/36204000/jpg/_36204440_acidvictimbbc300.jpg
Feminism
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Deep Ecology
• Humans are deeply
connected with nature
– If humans identify with
nature
• then taking care of the
natural world will become
part of taking care of one's
self.
http://www.geocities.com/eco-action/pics/siritharn_waterfall_sm.jpg
Sitting Bull, 1877
• “Behold, my brothers, the spring
has come;
• the earth has received the embraces
of the sun and we shall soon see the
results of that love!
• Every seed has awakened and so
has all animal life.
• It is through this mysterious power
that we too have our being and we
therefore yield to our neighbors,
even our animal neighbors, the
same right as ourselves, to inhabit
this land…
http://www.newriverasia.com/images/Sitting%20Bull.jpg
Sitting Bull, 1877
• “Yet hear me, my people, we
have now to deal with
another race –
• small and feeble when our
fathers first met them, but
now great and overbearing.
• Strangely enough they have a
mind to till the soil and the
love of possessions is a
disease with them . . ..
http://www.newriverasia.com/images/Sitting%20Bull.jpg
Sitting Bull, 1877
• “They claim this mother of
•
•
•
•
http://www.newriverasia.com/images/Sitting%20Bull.jpg
ours, the earth, for their own,
and fence their neighbors away;
they deface her with their
buildings and their refuse.
They threaten to take [the land]
away from us.
My brothers, shall we submit, or
shall we say to them:
"First kill me before you take
possession of my Fatherland."
Veganism
• Animals should be treated
with compassion
–
–
–
–
Not enslaved
Not made into commodities
Not made to suffer
Not killed
• Meat, leather, fur
– Not stolen from
• Eggs, milk
• Animals are sentient and
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/images/ChickensInBatteryCageslg.jpg
deserve respect
Veganism
• Perpetuation of our “herding culture”
– Promotes hierarchical and
uncompassionate social structures
• Based on conquest, domination, and
ownership
• Compassion for humans difficult when
animals not treated with compassion
– Branded, enslaved, commoditized, killed, etc.
Rainforest cleared for
cattle ranching
– Promotes unhealthy diets
• High in saturated fats
– Promotes environmental destruction
• 1/3 of grain, ½ fish used for animal feed
• Rainforest destruction for grazing and
cropland to feed livestock
http://rainforestweb.org/images/cat/cattle-big.jpg
Bio-regionalism
• Lead a simple life
– with local production
of food and other
products by people that
you know
• Increases environmental
awareness and caring
• decreases exploitation
of the environment and
people.
http://www.elysianfarm.com/images/lgCarrboro-Farmers-Market.jpg