Environmental Ethics

This course will introduce students to the moral issues associated with human interaction with our environment and provide them with the methodology for critically assessing these issues. Topics include: Are animals, plants, and trees entitled to moral consideration? If so, how much and why? How do we fairly distribute the burdens of environmental stewardship between nations and between generations? Do we owe any moral obligations to future generations? Are groups, like species and ecosystems, deserving of moral consideration? Must we promote sustainability? When, if ever, may we engage in acts of violence in order to protect animals and/or the ecosystem?