Environmental Ethics

DefinitionsDefinitions

•Moral Agents

•Those who have the freedom and rational capacity to be responsible for choices

•Those capable of moral reflection and decision.

•Example: adult humans of sound mind

•Infants and mentally infirm adults are NOT moral agents

DefinitionsDefinitions

•Moral Standing:

If you have moral standing:

•Your continued existence or welfare is valuable in itself (intrinsic value)

•Your interests and well-being must be weighed when deciding what is permissible to do. Example: humans of all kinds, babies, children, adults, old people, etc.

•Different races, different cultures

DefinitionsDefinitions•Moral Duties

That which is owed by moral agents to those with moral standing.

Example: It is wrong to kill our children because we have a moral duty toward them

Applying this to the Applying this to the environmentenvironment

• Who or what has moral standing, and why?◦ Does the environment have moral

standing?◦ Look at criteria for moral standing

• What moral duty do we (moral agents) have toward those with moral standing?◦ Different ethical positions suggest

different moral duties.

What has Moral Standing?What has Moral Standing?

• Being human?◦ Humans have a soul ◦ Humans are moral agents and are responsible for

knowing right from wrong

◦ Humans are intelligent ◦ Humans have personhood and self-consciousness

◦ Humans have language

What has Moral Standing?What has Moral Standing?

Sentience?

- Animals have sentience

Therefore moral standing is extended to animals

What has Moral Standing?

Being alive?

Therefore extend moral standing to animals and plants:

all living things.

What has Moral Standing?Being part of nature?

Therefore we extend moral standing to:

the earth

Ecosystems

rocks

rivers

plants and animals

the entire natural world

Ethical PositionsEthical Positions

Biocentric Individualism: Life-centered morality

All living beings have intrinsic value and moral standing.

Humans are not superior to other life forms nor privileged, and must respect the inherent worth of every organism

Humans should minimise harm and interference with nature: eat vegetarian since less land needs to be cultivated.

Ethical PositionsEthical Positions

Eco- Holism: ecosystem centered morality (Gaia)

Everything on earth is interconnected and so has moral standing or intrinsic value.

Individuals must be concerned about the whole community of life/nature,

Humans should strive to preserve ecological balance and stability.

Other IdeasOther Ideas

Deep Ecology / Deep Green Ecology

Humans are deeply connected with nature.

If humans identify with nature, then taking care of the natural world will become part of taking care of one's self.

Deep Ecology – Deep greenDeep Ecology – Deep green

Life has value in itself independent of its usefulness to humans.

The impact of humans on the world is excessive – we are only one species among many.

We should ‘touch the earth lightly.’

Deep green – respect but not reverence for the environment.

Sitting Bull - 1877Sitting Bull - 1877

“Behold, my brothers, the spring has come; the earth has received the embraces of the sun and we shall soon see the results of that love!

Every seed has awakened and so has all animal life.

It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land…”

Conservation EthicsConservation Ethics

Shallow Ecology

This is a means to an end – it is beneficial to humans.

It improves our quality of life.

Light Green Ecology – it still aims to preserve the environment.

Religious ApproachesReligious Approaches

Creation has value

“God saw that it was good…”

We are given dominion over all creatures …what does this mean?

Religious ApproachesReligious Approaches

Dominion

Humans morally important. More important than the world

Criticised by Peter Singer as anthropocentric.

Religious ApproachesReligious Approaches

St Francis of Assisi

God communicates with us through the natural world.

The environment is inherently good, so all creatures have the ability to worship God, all are part of the same creation, and all have the same intrinsic value.

Religious ApproachesReligious Approaches

Stewardship

The world belongs to God, and we are merely caretakers.

Humans are co-creators with God and need to use and transform the world with care.

The Fall made us poor stewards and we need to make up for past mistakes.

Religious ApproachesReligious ApproachesThe Rapture and the End Time

Concern for the environment is irrelevant

-The destruction of the environment is to be welcomed as it is a sign of the end time and the Second Coming of Christ.

-Why care about climate change if you and those closest to you will be rescued in the Rapture?

And finally….And finally….

Bioregionalism

Lead a simple life with local production of food and other products by people that you know.

Increases environmental awareness and caring.

Decreases exploitation of the environment and people.