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Environmental Philosophy/Ethics: An Overview: by J. Baird Callicott Visiting Senior Research Scientist
Environmental Philosophy/Ethics: An Overview: by J. Baird Callicott Visiting Senior Research Scientist
by J. Baird Callicott
Visiting Senior Research Scientist
Major fault-lines
Major sub-fields
First monograph:
Man’s Responsibility for Nature: Ecological Problems and
Western Traditions, by John Passmore (New York: Charles
Scribner’s Sons, 1974)
First journal—1979
Environmental Ethics: An Interdisciplinary Journal Dedicated
to the Philosophical Aspects of Environmental Problems
Eugene C. Hargrove, founding editor
Origins of Environmental Ethics as an Academic Field of Study
J. Baird Callicott
Arne Næss
Eugene C. Hargrove
John Passmore
Callicott Naess Routley
White’s Argument:
• Modern technology —> environmental crisis
• Technology as old as humanity: flaked stones,
sharpened-stick spears, bows-and-arrows—all technologies
• Modern technology = technology informed by science (previously
knowledge-for-knowledge’s sake), beginning in 18th century.
• Aggressive technology and the Scientific Revolution began in
Christendom—in Western Europe in late Middle Ages.
• (Judeo-) Christian worldview set out in the Holy Bible
• Therefore, the “historical roots” of our “ecologic crisis” are
traceable to the Judeo-Christian biblical worldview.
Agenda-Setting Seminal Text of Environmental Ethics
The J-C biblical worldview—the Big Picture—set out in Genesis 1
“Man” alone is created in the image of God; to have dominion over the
animals (Gen. 1:26)—both male and female (Gen. 1:27)
God commands them to “be fruitful and multiply”; “replenish the earth”;
“and subdue it” (Gen.1:28)
“What shall we do? No one yet knows. Unless we think about funda-
mentals, our specific measures may produce backlashes.”
In the early 1970s, White made some of us philosophers feel like only
we could save the world from a worsening environmental crisis.
Because to do anything effective about it depended on first
thinking about the man-nature relationship—or so White insisted.
1. Critique our inherited ideas about (a) human nature, (b) Nature, and
(c) the human-Nature relationship. Not all such ideas are biblical.
What about ancient Greek philosophy? What about Cartesian dualism?
Newtonian mechanism? Lockean private property? Etc.
White offered two suggestions: (1) look for recessive memes in the
history of Western philosophy (in his own case, St. Francis of Assisi who
preached to animals and converted a rogue wolf to Christianity); (2) turn
to Asian traditions of thought for conceptual resources (in his case, Zen
Buddhism, popularized by D. T Suzuki, Alan Watts, and Gary Snyder)
(a) Human nature: humans are an evolved species, existing as a part of,
not apart from, the rest of Nature.
All united and driven by a single overarching theme: the exposition and
promulgation of an evolutionary-ecological worldview and its
axiological and normative implications
Major Fault Lines in Environmental Ethics:
Anthropocentrism vs Non-anthropocentrism
Anthropocentrism:
human action > affects > environment > affects > other humans for
better or worse
human action > affects > environment itself for better or worse
Forms of non-anthropocentrism:
animal rights (mammals) based on a Kantian platform
(Tom Regan)
animal liberation (vertebrates) based on a utilitarian platform
(Peter Singer)
biocentrism (all organisms) based on a Kantian platform
(Paul Taylor)
ecocentrism (species, ecosystems, biotic communities based
either on a Kantian platform (Lawrence
Johnson) or on a Humean/Darwian platform (me)
Major Fault Lines in Environmental Ethics:
Instrumental vs Intrinsic Value
Instrumental value: The value of something as a means to another’s ends
Paradigm cases: cars, clothes, tools, etc.
Problematic cases: humans (human trafficking)
(1) Trade-offs: Having intrinsic value shifts the burden of proof from
defender to destroyer. Legal analog: “innocent until proven
guilty” Economic analog: Safe Minimum Standard
alternative to Benefit-Cost Analysis
UN Earth Charter (2000): “1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.
a. Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of
life has value regardless of its worth to human beings”—which is
one definition of “intrinsic value.”
“A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the
land community to plain member and citizen of it; it implies
respect for fellow-members and for the community as such.”
Climate Ethics