Climate Change and Sustainability: Ethical Dimensions (230-0-20)
Instructors
Lendell Chad Horne
Meeting Info
Annenberg Hall G21: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
This course is an introduction to some central concepts and problems in philosophical environmental ethics, with an emphasis on issues related to anthropogenic climate change. In the first part of the course, we will explore the problem of "moral standing:" the problem of who or what is deserving of ultimate moral consideration. For example, do sentient non-human animals like pigs or polar bears have moral standing? What about non-sentient life, such as plants or fungus? Might whole ecosystems or even nature as such have standing? We will examine recent arguments on these questions and their implications for moral theory. In the second part of the course, we will turn directly to the issue of global climate change. We will explore the standard economic analysis of climate change as a collective action problem and the philosophical presuppositions of that analysis. We will consider the question of the fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of climate mitigation globally, and we will discuss the ethics of geoengineering. We will close by considering the issue of "anthropocentrism" in ethics, asking whether and why anthropocentrism might be a problem for moral theory.
Registration Requirements
Course also satisfies SoComm Individual/Social Behavior Distro Area
Learning Objectives
(1) Recognize moral issues and distinguish them from descriptive ones.
(2) Understand major contemporary moral theories and the values they presuppose.
(3) Analyze philosophical arguments related to moral standing, and consider their implications for moral theorizing.
(4) Explore the complexity of the problem of global climate change, and consider alternative approaches to mitigating those problems and the reasons supporting them.
(5) Consider the differential impacts of anthropogenic climate change globally, and explore the intersection between climate justice and historical injustices.
(6) Reflect upon your own answers to important moral-philosophical questions and the reasons supporting them.
(7) Engage in respectful, rigorous, and constructive dialogue concerning environmental issues and communicate thoughtfully and clearly about them
Teaching Method
There is no discussion section.
Class Materials (Required)
All class materials will be available on Canvas at NO cost to the student.
Class Notes
THIS COURSE IS OPEN AND RECOMMENDED TO STUDENTS FROM ALL UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS/COLLEGES.
There are no pre-registration requirements. Capacity will be capped at 115. Cross-listed with PHIL 270.
Class Attributes
Ethical and Evaluative Thinking Foundational Disci
Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
Ethics & Values Distro Area