environmental ethics syllabus

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EnvironmentalEthics(ENV170‐301)McGowanSouthRoom206[TU/TH4:20pm‐5:50pm]

Instructor:Dr.AnthonyPaulSmith(anthonypaul.smith@gmail.com)773‐931‐9570(cell)

Officehours:Byappointmentonly

CourseDescriptionOurageisdominatedbyacontradiction:ontheonehandwearebombardedeverydaywithapocalyptictalesrelatedtoglobalclimatechange,andontheotherhandthereappearstobenomarshallingofsignificantcollectivewillrequiredtodealwiththeproblem.Thereasonforthislackofwillmaylieinlargepartwithafailureonthepartofourthinkingandthusaddressingourimplicitethicalreasoningconcerningtheenvironmentmayaidatleastalittleinturningthetideofenvironmentaldegradation.Foritmaybethatoneaspectoftheenvironmentwehavedamagedisourthinkingitself.

Togettogripswiththechallengespresentedtophilosophybytheecologicalcrisiswewillbeginbylookingattworecentenvironmentaldisasters,the2010gulfoilspillandthe2011Fukushimanucleardisaster.Wewillthenexaminetraditionalapproacheswithinethicalphilosophygearedtowardsthinkingthroughenvironmentalproblemsbeforeturningtosubsidiaryissueswithinenvironmentalethics.Thesewillincludeanimalethics,thecloselyrelatedethicsoffood,andtheethicalproblemspresentedbyagrowinghumanpopulationandthecontinuedurbanizationofourspecies.Wewillthenturnourattentiontocriticismsofthesetraditionalformsofenvironmentalethicsinthehopesofseeinghowanew,moreadequateethicaltheorycouldbeformed.

Theclassisasurveyandthusattheendweasaclasswillhavegrappledwithanumberoftraditionsofthought,theformsofwhichyouwillbeabletoidentifyinpublicdebatessurroundingtheissuesoutsideoftheclassroom,andthenseewherethesetraditionalformsofthinkinghavefailedus.Youwillalsoseeissuesandethicalproblemsthatmaynothavebeenapparenttoyoupriortothecourseandbechallengedinyourownpersonalpracticesasyoucometoseeyourselfasanecologicallyembeddedsubject.Finallywewillseesomeofthelatestattemptstorethinkourveryactofthinkingecologicallyinordertomovepasttheimpasseofthetraditionaldebates.

LearningOutcomesUponcompletingthecoursethestudentshouldbeableto:

• engagephilosophicallywithenvironmentalproblems;• identifyandexplainthedifferentethicalpositionspresentinenvironmentalism;• beabletoidentifythecentralthemesandargumentsofthetextsandstatethem

inaclearandsympatheticwayinclassdiscussion;• beabletoformulatecriticismsinawaythatisattentivetotheoriginalauthor’s

intentandargumentation.GradeSummaryTherewillbetwotests(comprisedofshort‐answerquestionsandessayquestions),seminardiscussions,andafinalpaper(10‐pages,double‐spaced).Eachtestwillcountfor25%(foratotalof50%)ofyourfinalgrade,thefinalpaperwillcountfor35%,andfinally15%forseminar/classparticipation(whichincludesattendance).

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Itisimportantthatyoudonotmissaclassandespeciallyanexam.Anymake‐upforthein‐classexamswillonlybegivenduetoextremesituations,andthisisdoneveryrarely.Youmusthavepriorpermissionfromtheinstructortotakeamake­up.ThepaperisdueviaDesire2Learn(clickthe“Dropbox”tab)ormyemailbytheendoftheday(11:59PM)onWednesday,June6th.Thepaperistobesubmittedelectronicallyonly.IpreferthatthepaperbeaPDF.Detailsconcerningthepaper(itsformatandcontent)willbepassedoutafterthefirstexam.Latepaperswillnotbeaccepted.Cheating/plagiarismwillbedealtwithastheseriousinfractionsthattheyare,possiblyleadingtofailure;seetheStudentHandbookfordetails.CellPhoneandLaptopPolicyWhileIunderstandtheaddictiontocellphones,especiallysmartphones,thematerialwearestudyingisverydifficultandthereforerequiresyourundividedattention.Ifyouarecaughtusingyourphoneduringalectureyouwillbegivenonewarning(eitherverballyorbyemail).Ifyouarecaughtasecondtimeormoreyouwillfaceareductionoffivepointsforeachoffensefromyourhighestscoringpieceofcoursework.Pleaseturnallcellphonesoffduringthelecture.IfIcandoit,socanyou.

Laptopsareacceptableintheclass,butfornotetakingonly.Ifyouappearnottobepayingattentionbecauseyou’redistractedbysomethingnon‐lecturerelatedonyourlaptopthenIwillaskyoutoreadthelastlineofnotesyouhavejustwritten.Ifyoucan’tthenyouwillbegivenawarning(eitherverballyorbyemail).Ifyouarecaughtasecondtimeormoreyouwillfaceareductionoffivepointsforeachoffensefromyourhighestscoringpieceofcoursework.

Desire2LearnPleasemakesurethatyouchecktheemailattachedtoyourDesire2Learnprofile.Iwillbesendingemailstothataddress.Allcoursedocuments,powerpoints,audiooflectures,andotherhelpfullinkswillbeavailableontheDesire2Learncoursepage.

RemarksonLectures,Readings,Films,andClassroomDiscussionsWearedealingwithadultthemesandarangeofdifferentbeliefsystemsinthisclass.Youwillbeexposedtodifferentwaysofthinkingbothinthereadings,thelectures,anddiscussionsinclass.Attimesyoumayfindyourselfoffendedbyoneormoreoftheideaspresentedandwhenyouarenotoffendedafellowclassmatemaywellbe.Thisisok!Whileofcourseverbalorphysicalabuseisstrictlynottolerated,wehavetogiveeachotherpermissiontobeoffensive(withintheboundsofrespectfuldiscourse)andtobeoffended.Byremaininginthiscourseyouareagreeingtohaverespectfulconversationsaboutawiderangeofdifferentbeliefs.

Thisgoesespeciallyforthefilmsandclipswewillwatchinclass.AttimesIhavechosenmaterialthatmaybeoffensivetosome.Somefilmswillberated‐RandsomeclipsfromTVshowswillberatedTV‐MA.Byremainingenrolledinthisclassafterthefirstsessionyouareenteringintoanon‐verbalagreementthatyouunderstandandacceptyouwillbeaskedtowatchthesefilmsandclips.

RequiredTexts

• Coursereader(foundonD2L)withselectionsfrom:o MurrayBookchin,SocialEcologyandCommunalism(AKPress)

• GilbertSimondon,TwoLessonsonAnimalandMan(Univocal)• AndrewLightandHolmesRolstonIII(editors),EnvironmentalEthics:An

Anthology(Blackwell)• AldoLeopold,SandCountryAlmanacandSketchesHereandThere(OxfordUP)

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• TimothyMorton,TheEcologicalThought(OxfordUP)ExtraCreditYoumaychooseabookorauthorfromthelistbelowandwriteabookreport(orsimilarreportontheworkofanartistorartists).Afterreadingthebook,whichyoumustneverhavereadbefore,youwillwriteabookreportofapproximately1,000to1,250wordsthatisilluminatedbyyourunderstandingofthevarioustheoreticalperspectivesonnatureandtheenvironmentthatwediscussduringthequarter.Itmayaddupto20pointstoyourfinalgrade.

Hereisalongunsystematic,idiosyncratic,bynomeansexhaustivelistofbooksthatyoumayconsiderforyourextra‐creditreport;ifyouwishtoreportonabooknotfromthislist,pleaseconfirmyourselectionwithmeinadvance:

HenryDavidThoreau:choosefromanyofhisnumeroussuitableworks,includingWaldenandTheMaineWoods,orfromoneofthemanyavailableanthologies

RalphWaldoEmerson:Natureandotherrelevantessays,availableinvariousanthologiesofEmerson’swork

JohnMuir:choosefromanyofthenumerousworksbyoneofthefoundersofthepreservationmovement,e.g.,MyFirstSummerintheSierra,TheMountainsofCaliforniaandOurNationalParks,orelseselectananthologysuchasNatureWritings

WilliamWordsworth:ThePrelude;orthenumerousanthologiesofhispoetryandprose,includingperhapshisguidetotheLakeDistrictofEngland

JohnRuskin:the19th‐centuryEnglishartcriticandsocialtheoristwrotealsoonenvironmentalissuesandtheeffectsofindustrializationandurbanization;Iknowofnoworkdedicatedtotheseconcernsalone;however,referencestospecificessaysbyRuskincanbefoundinRuskinandEnvironment:TheStorm­CloudoftheNineteenthCentury,editedbyMichaelWheeler.

AnnieDillard:PilgrimatTinkerCreek—PulitzerPrize‐winningmeditationsonthenaturalworld

TerryTempestWilliams:Refuge—memoirbyaMormonfeministenvironmentalistpeaceactivist

MichaelPollan:SecondNature:AGardener’sEducation—confrontingnatureinyouryard;orTheBotanyofDesire—howplants(theappletree,cannabis,thepotatoandthetulip)domesticatedhumans;orTheOmnivore’sDilemma:ANaturalHistoryofFourMeals—fromMcDonald’s,WholeFoods,asustainablefarmandthewild.

BillMcKibben:TheEndofNature—present‐dayAdirondackeco‐sage

EdwardAbbey:DesertSolitaire:ASeasonintheWilderness—thereflectionsofaneco‐curmudgeon

GarySnyder:ThePracticeoftheWild—acollectionofessaysbythePulitzerPrize‐winningpoetandcounter‐culturehero,theguywhointroducedJackKerouacandtheBeatgenerationtoZenBuddhism

BarryLopez:ArcticDreams:ImaginationandDesireinaNorthernLandscape—bytheguywhowrotethewolfbook

BillBryson:AWalkintheWoods—ahumoristhikingtheAppalachianTrail

BruceChatwin:TheSonglines—theresultofhistravelsamongtheAustralianAborigines

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RobertTonkinson:TheMarduAborigines—anaccountoftraditionallifeinAustralia’swesterndesert

EricHansen:StrangerintheForest:OnFootacrossBorneo—anaccountofhistravelswithindigenoushunter‐gatherersinthefast‐disappearingrainforestofthisislandoffthesouth‐eastcorneroftheAsianlandmass

JonKrakauer:IntoThinAir—riskinglife,limbandyourbraincells,nottomentionmaybeyournoseandtoes,onMt.Everest

ErnestCallenbach:Ecotopia—anovelenvisioninganecologicallysustainablefuturewhileclingingtosomedatedsocialmores

DaveForeman:Ecodefense:AFieldGuidetoMonkeywrenching—howtoengageinecosabotage

Andfinally,foranythoseinterestedinartandarthistory,perhapsananalysisofJ.M.W.Turner’slandscapesandseascapes;thepaintingsoftheHudsonRiverSchool;thephotographyofAnselAdams;ortheenvironmentalsculpturesofAndyGoldsworthy.

Ifthereissomeotherworkonwhichyouwouldliketowriteareport,youarewelcometosuggestittome;Ilookforwardtoyoursuggestions.

OutlineofCourseandReadingScheduleReadingslistedaretobereadforthatclassperiod.IfthereadingislistedunderSeptember14th,itistobereadpriortotheSeptember14thsessionofclass.Thescheduleandproceduresforthiscoursearesubjecttochangeintheeventofextenuatingcircumstances;changeswillbeannouncedinclass.Eachclasswillconsistoflectureandorganizedgroupdiscussionofthetext.March27th IntroductionPart1:SurveyingtheFieldofEnvironmentalEthicsMarch29th Palmer,pp.15‐35(EnvironmentalEthics=EE) Watchdocumentariesbeforeclass(linksalsoonD2L).

http://youtu.be/LUyUqoMH7‐A http://vimeo.com/24340880 April3rd Leopold,pp.1‐47April5th Leopold,pp.47‐94 April10th Leopold,pp.95‐164April12th Leopold,pp.165‐226 April17th Singer,pp.55‐64(EE),Regan,p.65‐73(EE)April19th Taylor,pp.74‐84(EE);Katz,pp.85‐94(EE)April24th Varner,pp.95‐113(EE);Cahen,pp.114‐128(EE)April26th Simondon,pp.31‐88(trytoreadtheintroductionaswell)May1st Rolston,pp.143‐153(EE);Stone,pp.193‐202(EE);Callicott,pp.

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203‐219(EE)May3rd Light,pp.229‐248(EE);Fox,pp.252‐261(EE);Naess,pp.262‐

274(EE)May8th Test#1(takehome),NoClassMay10th NoClassMay15th GaardandGruen,pp.276‐293(EE);WarranandCheney,pp.294‐

305(EE);Bookchin(pdfonD2L)May17th Rolston,pp.451‐462(EE);Hartley,pp.478‐486(EE);Barry,pp.

487‐499(EE)May22nd Morton,pp.1‐58 May24th Morton,pp.59‐97May29th Morton,pp.98‐135May31st Test#2