Lesson 4: The Human Person in the

Environment
Content Standard:

The learner understands the interplay

between humans and their
environments.
Performance Standard:

The learner is able to demonstrate

the virtues of prudence and frugality
towards his/her environment.
 Learning Competencies:

•MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES (MELCs):

•4.1.Notice disorder in an environment PPT11/12-Ii-4.1
•4.2.Notice things that are not in their proper place and
organize them in an aesthetic way PPT11/12-Ii-4.2
 “ Let’s talk about environment.
What do you now observe? Can
you give me any difference from
before than today?
What can you say about these?
What can you do to protect
the environment? We have
our own roles to play to
protect the environment.
Isn’t?
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT
AND ENVIRONMENTALISM
 What is Environment?
- Is the place, people, things, and nature that
surround any living organism. It is our basic
life support system. It provides the air we
breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat
and the land where we live. It is the
combination of natural and human made
phenomena.
When we say
Environmentalism
- Is a political, and
ethical movement or
ideology that aims to
reduce the harmful
impacts of human
activity by improving
and protecting the
environment.
 • The discipline in philosophy that studies the moral
relationship of human beings with the environment and its
non human contents.

• It tackles issues such as humanity's role in the natural

world, the interaction between nature and human
activities, and humanity's response to environmental
challenges.

ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHYPHILOSOPHY
(Environmental
(Environmental Ethics)Ethics)
Environmental philosophy
is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship between human beings and nature, as
well as the value and moral status of the environment and its non-human contents. (Brennan AndLo, 2010).

Environmental ethics
is a branch of philosophy, so environmental philosophy is a broader concept that covers environmental ethics. It is aslo
an established field of practical philosophy "which reconstructs the essential types of argumentation that can be made
for protecting natural entities and the sustainable use of natural resources.

→ Environmental philosophers tackle issues such as humanity's role in the nature world, also the
interaction between nature and human activities, and humanity's response to environmental
challenges.

→ Philosophers believe that the person has a special relationship with nature. The early history of
humankind shows that wherever humans came together to form communities, the landscape and the
environment changed.

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There are three major views regarding the relationship between humanity and the environment. These are;

Anthropocentrism
→ is the belief that human beings are the central or most important entity in the universe.
→ focuses on the significant role of the humankind in the world and considers nature as the mean by which
human are able to meet their needs and survive.
Biocentrism
→ (from Greek βίος (bios), means “life” and κέντρον (kentron), means “center”)

→ an ethical perspective holding that all life deserves equal moral consideration or has equal moral standing.
→ an ethical point of view that extends inherent value to all living things. It is an understanding of how the earth
works, particularly as it relates to its biosphere or biodiversity.
Ecocentrism
→ is a term used by environmental philosophers and ecologists to denote a nature-centered, as opposed to
human-centered, system of values.
→ The justification for ecocentrism usually consists in an ontological belief and subsequent ethical claim.

Several philosopical views on the environment such as “DEEP ECOLOGY and the GAIA HYPOTHESIS emphasize the important
of the interaction between the living and non living components of the environment.

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 Do you consider your classroom clean and orderly? Will you be able to conduct your activities if
your classroom is messy and disorganized?
• Clean and orderly surroundings contribute to safety, well being and health, while dirty and disorderly
surroundings result in disease or accidents.

→ ENVIRONMENTAL AESTHETICS is one philosophical view that believes maintaining order in the environment
will bring out the natural beauty of the surroundings and contribute to the well-being about concern for other
organism living in it.

→ The accumulating garbage causes flooding and become a health hazard because it spreads dirt and disease.

→ A 2014 study on global warming conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change (IPCC) finds
clear evidence that human activities have contributed to the rise of global temperatures through the release of
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Climate change are changes in global weather patterns resulting in
intense storms and heat waves.

2022 Presentation 15
 How can humanity address the damage inflicted on the environment?

► One important development that arose during the late twentieth century was environmentalism.
This perspective advocates to address the growing environmental problems.

Environmentalism
→ advocates the preservation, restoration and improvement of the natural environment and critical earth system
elements or processes such as the climate, and may be referred to as a movement to control pollution or protect
plant and animal diversity.
One important philosophical view from environmentalism is environmental ethics.
Environmental Ethics
→ serves as a basis for reflecting on how our actions shows our regard for nature.

As persons, it is our responsibility to start with our own actions and how they affect our immediate environment. A part of
individual action, environmentalism also encourages governments, institutions, organizations, and corporations to commit
to responsible action for the environment. An important part of environmentalism is collective action spearhead by
environmental groups that call attention to environmental problems and environmental abuse.

2022 Presentation 16
The Development of Ethical Views Regarding the Environment
Environmental Ethics emerged in the 1970’s, advocating responsibility and action with regard to
environmental issues. Its main ideas are the following:
• All nonhuman elements of the world, including animals and natural resources, have intrinsic value and should
be preserved.
• The preservation of the environment will benefit humans by providing for the needs of present and future
generations.
• Humankind has a responsibility to guard the planet as the stewards of creation.
Environmental ethics has resulted in the development of varied views:
•Social ecology is a philosophical theory about the relationship between ecological and social issues.

• Climate Ethics and Climate Justice arose from the growing concern with climate change, and
consider it a significant ethical, social, and political issue.

• Environmental Justice refers to the fair distribution of environmental benefits as well as the burden
of meeting environmental challenges.

2022 Presentation 17
Environmental Ethics

It focuses on concepts of beauty in nature, but has become increasingly influenced by

environmental concerns. It began in the twentieth century, concerned primarily with natural
beauty in the context of maintaining order and balance in the environment.

Knowledge about nature will not only enable humans to appreciate nature’s innate beauty but will
also help them relate more effectively with the environment. It concerns human beings’ ethical
relationship with the natural environment.

2022 Presentation 18
Activism and increased organized action are indications of the growing awareness of environmentalism in
today’s society.

Environmentalism has also become an important issue in international politics as governments and
international organizations have devoted efforts to discuss environmental issues and formulate

Significant developments include the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, where various nations
committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to curb global warming.

The Philippines is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol and our government has enacted laws to address
environmental problems that contribute to global warming such as the Clean Air Act of 1999, Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000, and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

2022 Presentation 19
What can we do to uphold environmentalism and care for nature?

Supply chains​
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

2022 Presentation 20
Sustainability
→ One of the major concepts that drives environmentalism is
sustainability or sustainable development.

→ This concept focuses on reconciling human activities

and economic development with the protection of the
environment.

→ One of the major ideas of this is that we must make

decisions regarding the use of natural resources to ensure
that there is still enough left for future use.

21
22
 You might have been told to finish all of your food whenever your parents see that
you have leftovers on your plate.

Have you ever wondered what happens to

unconsumed foods?

According to a 2011 report by the World Food Programme, about

one-third of the total food supply is wasted throughout the world.

In 2008, a study of the Philippine Rice Research Institute estimates that every Filipino wastes
about 3.2 kilograms of rice every year.

The misuse of resources often means that other people do not get to benefit from it.
Sustainability relies on three important principles;
Environmental integrity
→ refers to maintaining the state of the environment.

Economic Efficiency
→ refers to prudence decision-making regarding the use of resources to ensure that there is minimum to zero
waste.
Prudence – is the ability to regulate one’s actions and behavior
Equity
→ demands that we use our natural resources in such manner that these are conserved so that the next generation
will be able to use them.

Frugality – is being thrifty with the use of one’s resources.

The values of prudence and frugality can guide us in our

own personal use of resources

2022 Presentation 23
THE SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL MODELS EXAMINES
THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE:

❏ Microsystems
❏ Mesosystems
❏ Exosystems
❏ Macrosystems
MICROSYSTEMS
People, groups and institutions that
most directly influences a person’s
growth and development.
MESOSYSTEMS
Relationships and interactions
between microsystems in a
persons’ life.
 EXOSYSTEMS
Consists of social setting the
person has no control over, but
directly affected by.
MACROSYSTEMS
General culture that influences a
person as they develop, and the
microsystems and mesosystems
within.
CLIMATE ETHICS
It is an area of research that
focuses on the ethical
dimensions of climate change,
and concepts such as climate
justice
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Finding solutions to the climate
crisis that not only reduce
emissions or protect the natural
world, but that do so in a way
which creates fairer, more just
and more equal world in the
process
CLIMATE
ETHICS
ENVIRONMENTA
&
L JUSTICE
CLIMATE
JUSTICE
ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
Fair distributionof
environmental benefits as well
as well as the burden of meeting
environmental challenges
ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
It advocates, emphasizes equity and
the meaningful involvement of
communities and governments in
addressing environmental
challenges, and in planning and
implementing environmental
policies.
 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN CLIMATE JUSTICE
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE?
Environmental Justice serves as lens through which social
justice principles can be incorporated into the realm of fair
sustainability.

Climate Justice promotes an urgent action needed to

prevent climate change; must be based on community-led
solutions around the world.
ENVIRONMENTAL
AESTHETICS
Originally focused on
concepts of beauty of nature.
 REFERENCE
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