PHILOSOPHY
& THE ENVIRONMENT 148
Fall 2003
TuTh: 5-6:20
Instructor: Professor Craig Callender
8072 HSS; telephone: 822-4911; email:
ccallender@ucsd.edu
Office hours:
Tu 3.30-4.30 and by appointment
Course description:
The principal aim of the
course is to develop the analytical tools necessary to understand the ethical
issues that arise in the context of public policy decisions regarding
environmental protection. We will be
primarily concerned with the ethical issues associated with the environment,
and not environmental problems for their own sake. Typically, however, our discussion of an
ethical issue will be framed in terms of specific environmental problems. In this way, the course strikes a balance
between theoretical and applied philosophy.
Required Texts:
Van
De Veer & Pierce, The Environmental
Ethics and Policy Book: Philosophy, Ecology, Economics (
McPhee,
John, Encounters with the Archdruid (FSG 1971 or any edition).
Coursework/Grading:
1. Assigned
coursework will consist primarily of reading assignments, which are to be
completed prior to the class for which they have been assigned. You should bring the assigned reading to
class.
2. Class
Participation (20%). Small homework
assignments, attendance, and discussion in class. For class discussion, it will particularly
help to keep abreast of recent issues concerning the environment. This means (at least) reading the newspaper
on a frequent basis. Seeing the ethical
issues discussed in class debated in recent events will help you understand the
philosophical issues. Class
attendance is mandatory and will be checked periodically. Some
classes will not correspond to any reading material and every class will contain some material not covered by the readings,
so it is nearly impossible to do well in this course if one's attendance is
anything short of regular.
3. Midterm
(30%); Final Exam (30%); Short Essay (20%) Late submissions will not be accepted without prior permission of the
instructor/TA.
Tentative Syllabus and
A. Brief Introduction to Ethical
Theories.
Many of the debates we’ll consider trace their origin to more
general debates in ethics, e.g., between consequentialist and
non-consequentialists. We’ll need to
learn about these debates, as well as learn some crucial distinctions made in
ethics.
9/25; 9/30 “An Intro to
Ethical Theory” EEPB: pp. 1-38.
Goodland, “The Case That the World
Has Reached Limits” EEPB 598
Extra reading:
Moral Theory Notes
B. What Are the Proper Goals of an
Environmental Policy?
Environmentalists
are sharply divided on the question of the proper goals of environmental
policy: on one side are the "preservationists" who argue that we have
an obligation to preserve the natural environment in its natural state, while
on the other side are the "conservationists" who argue that we have a
right, perhaps even an obligation, to make optimal use of environmental/natural
resources.
What one
takes to be the proper goals of such policy influences both what one takes to
be the salient ethical issues and what one takes to be the appropriate tools
and techniques for dealing with issues that one recognizes. Preservationists, for instance, have the task
of explaining the source and scope of our supposed obligation to preserve the
natural environment; conservationists, on the other hand, must answer such
questions as: for whose benefit should environmental resources be managed, and
what counts as "optimal use"?
10/2 Freeman, "The Ethical Basis of
the Economic View…" EEPB 318
Homework #2 (Due Tues). In less than one side of paper, explain what species of conservationist Charles Park is after reading Part I of John McPhee’s Encounters with the Archdruid. That is, is he an anthropocentric conservationist, anthropocentric preservationist, non-anthropocentric conservationist, or non-anthropocentric preservationist? (Or if unclear, explain why.) In your answer cite anecdotes or quotations from the reading.
10/7 Sagoff, “At the Shrine of
Our Lady of Fatima, or Why Political Questions are Not All Economic” EEPB 327
10/9 Leopold, "The Land
Ethic" EEPB 215
Norton,
“Integration or Reduction” EEPB (just
part I:240-49)
10/14 Case Study: Forests:
Knize, "The Mismanagement of the
National Forests" EEPB 534
(Useful and short,
though not mandatory: Norton “Forest Service Policy” EEPB 543-545)
C. Human Obligations to Wildlife.
Many
environmental policy decisions have significant impact on wildlife, typically
through their impact on wildlife habitat.
In this section we will examine the questions of what ethical
obligations, if any, we have regarding wildlife, considered either as
individuals or as species.
10/16 Singer,
“Animal Liberation” EEPB 135
10/21 Film: Cane Toads: An Unnatural
History
10/23 Regan, "The Case for
Animal Rights" EEPB 143
Varner “The
Prospects for Consensus…” EEPB 163
Late addition:
VanDeVeer
Of
particular interest in current U.S environmental policy is the concern with
biodiversity and endangered species. The
obvious question here is whether there is any ethical obligation to preserve
either biodiversity or endangered species, especially if this can be achieved
only at some cost to existing human populations. Our discussion will focus primarily on the
Endangered Species Act. But we will also
briefly focus on the related interesting problem posed by “alien” invaders to
an ecosystem.
10/28 Cancelled, due to
mother-of-all fires
10/30 Gould, "What is a
Species?" EEPB 465
Text of the ESA at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/
Russow, "Why
Do Species Matter?" EEPB 469
11/4 Rolston, "Why Species
Matter" EEPB 476
Sagoff, M. “Exotic
Species..” available at
http://www.puaf.umd.edu/IPPP/fall1999/exotic_species.htm
Mini-review for
midterm
11/6 Midterm
11/11 No class: Veteran’s Day. But read next part of McPhee’s Archdruid…
D. Equity and Sustainability: The
Just Distribution of Scarce Environmental Resources?
Many environmental problems arise from the depletion of
various natural resources. Policies that
aim to regulate resource utilization face a basic ethical issue: How are
competing claims on scarce natural resources to be adjudicated? What counts as a just distribution of these
resources? Earlier we saw some answers
to these questions when discussing cost-benefit analysis, the land ethic,
etc. Here we’ll concentrate a bit more on
property. We’ll also focus on the
pressure from future generations of people.
Should this be counted, and if so, how?
Is sustainability merely an empty buzzword or can it be unpacked into
something substantial?
11/13 Shrader-Fredchette,
“Property Rights in Nat’l Resources” EEPB 377
Sagoff, "Takings, Just
Compensation, and the Environment" EEPB
378
11/18 Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons”
EEPB 44
(Partridge, “With
11/20: Partridge, “Future Generations” EEPB 428
(For those with the second
edition, this paper is also on the above web address under /papers/)
11/25 Solow,
“Sustainability: An Economist’s Perspective”
EEPB 438
Goodin,
“Sustainability” EEPB 443
11/27 Thanksgiving holiday
E. Risk and Precaution
Many of the environmental decisions facing humanity today must
take place under conditions of great uncertainty. How should we react to such uncertainty? Many governments and individuals have
endorsed what is sometimes called the “precautionary principle” –we’ll take a
look at this.
12/2: Lewontin,
“Genes in the Food!” EEPB 502
(handout,
for those with second edition)
National
Paper
Due
12/4 Finish
McPhee book (Parts 2 and 3)
FINAL EXAM: Tues, 12/9,
Links:
NRDC
[National Resources Defence Council] This environmental group’s web page
contains a wealth of information; in addition, it will compose and send (with
your permission) letters on behalf of environmental causes to the relevant
politicians.
Monterey Bay
Aquarium: Seafood Watch Program