PHI 3682: Honors Environmental Philosophy

Fall 2001

See my Web page for Office Hours: http://wise.fau.edu/~dwhite

 

Course Description: This course provides a study of contemporary environmental philosophy, including ethical and practical issues related to the natural environment.  As part of this inquiry the course focuses on the history of ideas regarding nature, on the relevance of traditional ethical standpoints to environmental issues, and the significance of both for current scientific reportage regarding the ecological crisis.  Students will study contributions of the European philosophical tradition as well as those of other world cultures to the ideas of nature, humanity, community, and morality underlying environmental issues. They will consider ecological ideas from an interdisciplinary perspective, including the natural and social sciences as well as the humanities.  The contributions of ecological feminism to the study of gender and the environment will also be our concern. Our discussion will be both theoretical and practical, encouraging each class participant to explore options for a viable ecological ethic.  Each student will be responsible for developing her/his own point of view based on the study of primary and secondary sources.  Each will participate in class discussion, write essays and dialogues, cooperate in a group presentation, and explore the range of sources available in environmental studies. We will pay special attention to the widening range of electronic media relevant to ecological issues.   Our study will be historical, thematic, multicultural and interdisciplinary, as the character of environmental thinking requires. This course has been approved for the Environmental Studies requirement in the HC Core and for the Environmental Studies concentration.

 

This course fulfills the Gordon Rule writing requirement of 6,000 words.

Course Requirements and Grades:

1)  A series of three responses, in essay or dialogue form, written outside of class, each at least  1,000 words in length (for a total of 3,000 words): each 15% of the final grade = 45% of final grade.

2) A series of in-class responses (assigned in class), in essay form (totaling a minimum of 1,500 words): =  altogether 15% of final grade.

3)  A final essay, written outside of class, of at least 1,000 words: 15 % of final grade.

4)  A group presentation or project, including a 500 word summary: 15% of final grade.

5)  Regular class attendance and  participation  10% of final grade.

6) Essays and dialogues written outside of class will be graded for composition and content; in-class essays will be graded holistically. 

 

Students enrolled in this course agree to abide by the Honors College Honor Code.  Please review this important document:  http://www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/students/honorcode.html

 

Required Texts and Sources:

1) Brown, Lester, State of the World 2001   (World Watch Institute)

2) ---.  Worldwatch CD ROM (Honors College Computer Lab): contains complete

publications of Worldwatch for the last 3 years.

3) Zimmerman, Michael et al.  Environmental Philosophy, 3rd Edition (abbreviated Z; all readings are

from this text  unless otherwise indicated)

4) Readings on Library Reserve (see syllabus below for authors and texts)

5) Online sources (please see syllabus below)

6) Environmental Ethics.  Leading journal in the titular field, available in our library.  

 

Syllabus

 

Week                                                      Assignments

 

            August 23

1)         Introductory perspectives: Ch. 1; J. Baird Callicott, “General Introduction”    

Lynn White: “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis.” Science. 10 March 1967, v. 155, 1203-1207 [1]; also in Reflecting on Nature, on reserve.  Brown, Preface.  Arran Gare, “Human Ecology, Process Philosophy, and the Global Environmental Crisis”: http://www.alfred.north.whitehead.com/ajpt_papers/vol01/0101_gare.htm

 

August 28-30          

2)            Ethical perspectives:  Film: Bill Moyers, Earth on Edge. See the PBS Website for the program:  http://www.pbs.org/earthonedge/ ;  Brown, Ch. 1, “Rich Planet, Poor Planet.”  Goodpaster, “On Being Morally Considerable” Z  56-70; Holmes Rolston III,”Challenges in Environmental Ethics” Z 126-146 Z ; Sylvan (Routley), “Is There a Need for a New, an Environmental, Ethic?” Z  17-25; Taylor, “Ethics of Respect for Nature” Z 71-86.   

 

             September 4-6  

3)         Environmental  Ethics, continued.  Leopold, “The Land Ethic” Z  97-110;  Callicott, “Holistic Environmental Ethics and the Problem of Ecofascism” Z  111-125; Daniel Berthold-Bond, “The Ethics of "Place": Reflections on Bioregionalism,” Environmental Ethics vol. 22 (Spring 2000), on reserve or CD ROM.  Brown, Ch.3., “Eradicating Hunger: A Growing Challenge”;  J. Baird Callicott: “Many Indigenous Worlds or the Indigenous World” Environmental Ethics  22 (Fall 2000); McPherson et al., “Indigenous Worlds and Callicott’s Land Ethic.” Environmental Ethics 22 (Fall 2000).

     

            September 11-13 

4)         Animal Liberation and Environmental Ethics:  Film: Butterfly. Sagoff, “Animal Liberation, Environmental Ethics: Bad Marriage, Quick Divorce” Z 87-96;  Singer,  “All Animals are Equal,”  Z 26-40; Tom Regan, “Animal Rights, Human Wrongs,” Z 41-56;  Callicott, “Animal Liberation and Environmental Ethics: Back Together Again,”  Z  147-156; Frank Schalow, “Who Speaks for the Animals? Heidegger and the Question of Animal Welfare,” Environmental Ethics 22 (fall 2000). Rick O'Neil, “Animal Liberation Versus Environmentalism: The Care Solution,” Environmental Ethics 22 (Summer 2000).  Michael Allen Fox, “Vegetarianism and Planetary Health,” Ethics and the Environment,” Volume 5,  Issue 2 (Autumn 2000):  163-174. [2]  Brown, Ch 4, “Deciphering Amphibian Declines.” 

 

            September 18-20

 5)        Deep Ecology:   Film:  Nova:  The Gaia Hypothesis.   Sessions,  “Deep Ecology: Introduction,” Z 157-174;  Berry, “The Viable Human” Z 175-184; Naess, “The Deep Ecological Movement:  Some Philosophical Aspects”Z 185-203; Glasser,  “Demystifying the Critiques of Deep Ecology” Z 204-218;  “Ecocentrism, Wilderness, and Global Ecosystem Protection,” Z  236-252; Simon P. James: “Thing-Centered Holism in Buddhism, Heidegger, and Deep Ecology,” Environmental Ethics 22 (Winter 2000).  James P. Sterba, “Biocentrism and Human Health,” Ethics and the Environment, 5 , 2 (Autumn 2000):  271-284. Elsevier Science Direct:  please see footnote 2 for access information).  Brown, Ch. 2, “Uncovering Groundwater Pollution.” Response 1 Due

 

September 25-27

6)         Multicultural Perspectives:  Film:  In Light of Reverence,” Cultural conflict between Native and Euro America over the significance and use of the land;  see the  PBS Website for the film:  http://www.pbs.org/pov/inthelightofreverence/thefilm.html . Thompson: “Environment as Cultural Heritage,” Environmental Ethics 22 (fall 2000); Vinay Lal: “Gandhi and the Ecological Vision of Life: Thinking beyond Deep Ecology,” Environmental Ethics 22 (summer 2000);  Foltz: “Is There an Islamic Environmentalism?” Environmental Ethics 22 (spring 2000); Levit, et al.: “Time and Space in the Works of V. I. Vernadsky”; Schmidtz: “Natural Enemies: An Anatomy of Environmental Conflict,” both in  Environmental Ethics 22 (winter 2000).  Alan Sponberg, “Green Buddhism,” http://www.westernbuddhistreview.com/vol1/green_buddhism.html ; Brown, Ch. 8, “Ending the Debt Crisis.”

 

October 2-4

7)         Ecofeminism, Gender and environmental philosophy:  Fox, “The Deep Ecology-Ecofeminism Debate and Its Parallels” Z 218-235; Karen J. Warren, “Ecofeminism: Introduction” Z 253-272; Merchant, from The Death of Nature Z 273-286, Shiva, “The Impoverishment of the Environment: Women and Children Last” Z 287-304; Curtin, “Recognizing Women’s Environmental Expertise” Z 305-321; Warren, “The Power and the Promise of Ecological Feminism” 322-342;  Goff-Yates: “Karen Warren and the Logic of Domination: A Defense” Environmental Ethics 22 (Summer 2000); Val  Plumwood,  “Integrating Ethical Frameworks for Animals, Humans, and Nature; A Critical Feminist Eco-Socialist Analysis,” Ethics and the Environment 5, 2: 285-322 (in Elsevier Science Direct:  please see footnote 2 for access information).

 

October 9-11

8)      Political and Social Perspectives: Clark, “Political Ecology: Introduction” Z 343-364; Anderson and Leal, “Free Market vs. Political Environmentalism” Z 365-375; Bliese, “Traditionalist Conservatism and Environmental Ethics” Z 376-391; Hawken, “A Declaration of Sustainability” Z 392-402;  de-Shalitt, “Is Liberalism Environmentally Friendly?” Z 403-422;  O’Connor, “Socialism and Ecology” Z 423-435;  Davidson: “Sustainable Development: Business as Usual or a New Way of Living?” Environmental Ethics 22 (Spring 2000).  Collins-Chobanian: “Beyond Sax and Welfare Interests: A Case for Environmental Rights,” Environmental Ethics 22 (Summer 2000).   Brown, Ch.9, ”Controlling International Environmental Crime.” Response 2  Due

9)       

            October 16-18 

9)         Political and Social Perspectives, con’t. Bookchin, “What is Social Ecology?” Z 436-454; Clark, “The Matter of Freedom: Ecofeminist Lessons in Social Ecology” Z 455-470;  Hadjilambrinos : “An Egalitarian Response to Utilitarian Analysis of Long-Lived Pollution” Environmental Ethics 22 (Spring 2000) ; Davradou and  Wood: “The Promotion of Individual Autonomy and Environmental Ethics,” both in  Environmental Ethics 22 (Spring 2000).  Brown, Ch. Brown, Ch. 6, “Making Better Transportation Choices.”

           

            October 23-25

10)       A Current Issue Facing the United States:  Environmental News Service:  “U.S. Pulls Out of Kyoto Protocol” http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar2001/2001L-03-28-11.html

The White House (read what President Bush has to say on the issue): http://www.emailthepresident.com/ ; for example see Dr. Janet Yellen, White House Council of Economic Advisers: “The Economics of the Kyoto Protocol”: http://www.politicsol.com/govsites/epa-news.html

United Nations Kyoto Protocol (1997):  http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/global.warming/stories/treaty/

           United Nations Rio Declaration on the Environment (1992): 

            http://www.igc.apc.org/habitat/agenda21/rio-dec.html

            CNN, “Kyoto Conference, A Curtain Raiser” (1997): http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/global.warming/signs/

            CNN, “No Consensus on Global Warming Policy” (1997): http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/global.warming/disagreements/

            Miles O’Brien, “Messing with the Thermostat can be Devastating,” http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/global.warming/causes/

            CNN, “Global Warming:  No Day at the Beach,” (1997): http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/global.warming/signs/

            CNN, “Calculating the Costs” (1997):  http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/global.warming/signs/

Related Links on global warming, for further reading: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/global.warming/links/

CNN, “Western Fires Stretch Resources”: http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/08/15/western.fires/index.html

CNN, “Hurricanes”: http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/hurricanes/ 

Brown, Ch. 5, “Decarbonizing the Energy Economy.”

Environmental Health (a related issue):  Elisabeth A. Boetzkes and Jason Scott Robert:   “Toward an Inclusive Health Ethic for Humans and Ecosystems,” Ethics and the Environment 5 (2) 143-151 (in Elsevier Science Direct:  please see footnote 2 for access information).

 

11)       October 30-November 1

Postcolonial and Postmodern Environmentalism: Lisa Dix, “Examining Colonial Nature Talk”: http://www.lostinthought.net/naturetalk.htm ;  Kidner: “Fabricating Nature: A Critique of the Social Construction of Nature” Environmental Ethics 22 (Winter 2000).; Ramachandra Guha, “Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A Third World Critique,” on reserve in Wilcox & Wilcox, Applied Ethics in American Society, pp. 529-538.   Brown, Ch. 7, “Averting Unnatural Disasters.”  Daniel R. White, “Modernity/Post-Modern Environmentalism,” The Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change.  Volume 4, pp. nya (Forthcoming, in our library.)  Response 3 Due.

 

November 6-8

12)       Communication Theory, Cybernetics, Informatics: Donna Haraway: “The Promises of Monsters” http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/Haraway/monsters.html ;

“A Cyborg Manifesto”:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/Haraway/CyborgManifesto.html

William Grassie, “Cyborgs, Trickster, and Hermes:
Donna Haraway's Metatheory of Science and Religion”:  http://www.users.voicenet.com/~grassie/Fldr.Articles/Cyborgs.html

McCormick: “The Island of Dr. Haraway,” Environmental Ethics 22 (Winter 2000). Preston: “Conversing with Nature in a Postmodern Epistemological Framework,” Environmental Ethics 22 (Fall 2000). Eugene Thacker, “bio_informatics” Ctheory:  http://www.ctheory.com/article/a063.html ; Daniel White, “Dreams in Rebellion:The Battle of Seattle,” Ctheory:  http://www.ctheory.com/article/a080.html

 

 

November 13-15

13)       Communication theory and Ecology: John Dryzek, “Green Reason:     Communicative Ethics for the Biosphere,” in Gruen, Reflecting on Nature  (on reserve). Anthony Wilden, “Epistemology and Ecology,” from System and Structure (on reserve); Gregory Bateson, “The Roots of the Ecological Crisis,” from Steps to an Ecology  of Mind (on reserve).  Donald Campbell:  “Evolutionary Epistemology,” from Evolutionary Epistemology, Rationality and the Sociology of Knowledge, on reserve. 

 

            November 20-22  (November 22nd is a holiday.)                             

14)       Ethnography and Ecology:  “Seeing the Ancestral Sites:  Transformations in  Fijian Notions of the Land,” Hirsh & O’Hanlon, The Anthropology of Landscape, 163-183;  “Landscape and the Reproduction of the Ancestral Past,” Hirsh & O’Hanlon, 184-209 (on reserve). From Rappaport, Pigs for the Ancestors: Rcitual in the Ecology of a New Guinea People, & Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity (on reserve).  Advocacy After Bhophal,  Introduction and Ch. 1 (on reserve). Brown, Ch. 10, “Accelerating the Shift of Sustainability.”

 

November 27-29

15)        Presentations and Discussion

 

 December 4-6: 

16)        Presentations and Discussion.

 

17)         Exam Week:  Final Essay due by class time, December 11.

 


[1]  Lynn White’s “Historical Roots of the Ecological Crisis” is available in the journal Science under the database JSTOR in FAU’s Electronic Collection.  The full citation is Lynn White, Jr., “The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis,”  Science, New Series, Vol. 155, No. 3767. (Mar. 10, 1967), pp. 1203-1207. Go into the FAU Electronic Collection at www.fau.edu/library ; click on Journals by Title, go to Science; click on the JSTOR (rather than the Ovid) version; search the article in JSTOR by author and (partial) title.  When the citation appears click “view article.” 

[2]   Access Ethics and the Environment through Elsevier Science Direct in the FAU Libraries Electronic Collection, Databases, General Physical & Earth Sciences,  Elsevier Science Direct, Group- Wide Log-in, Browse, Journals, click on “E” in the alphabet and go to Ethics and the Environment.  Follow prompts to the article under Volume 5, Issue 2. If you get a warning that “your institution does not subscribe but click ‘continue’ to access article,” click ‘continue’!