ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS Philosophy 1116

(IAI H4 904)

Planet-Earth From Space Wikimedia Commons. 13 March. 2013.

On our crowded planet there are no longer any internal affairs! (Alexander Solzhenitsyn) Living in a global environment will require imaginative, creative, and reflective abilities of all of us to deal with the environmental challenges on this crowded planet. Human beings have impacted the environment throughout history. Direct and indirect changes in the environment influence not just ecological systems but also human societies in general, including their political and economic systems. Such impact cuts across national boundaries. The course will investigate how nature works, how things are interconnected, and how the theories and principles of ethics ought to be applied to major areas of environmental concern. Based on an understanding of ecological concepts and ethical principles, the course examines lifestyle issues, analyzes the relationships between population, natural resources, industrialization, land use, and pollution, and examines possible future directions to responsible environmental citizenship. PHILOSOPHY 1116 Environmental Ethics (IAI H4 904) 3 credit hours Spring/Fall Spring/Fall

Study of the theories and principles of ethics as applied to major areas of environmental and ecological concern: pollution, land use, animal rights, population, consumption, and waste disposal. Prerequisite: Course requires Reading Placement Test Score-Category One. (3 lecture hours) Recommended for students who are interested in the study and discourse about ethical decisions in the fields of natural sciences such as biology, chemistry, economics, and environmental science.