Intro. To Environmental Ethics: Topic Ten
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DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, CENTRE FOR FOUNDATION STUDIES, IIUM, PETALING JAYA, SEMESTER II, 2007/2008
AED 1262 INTRO. TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE semester 2, 2007/2008
TOPIC TEN:
INTRO. TO ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
What is ethics? o
Define fundamentally what is right and what is wrong, regardless of cultural differences. e.g. most cultures have a reverence for life and hold that all humans have a right to live. It is considered unethical to deprive an individual of life.
Every discipline has their own work ethic , such as:
MEDICINE LAW BUSINESS MILITARY
INTELLECTUAL
SCIENTIST ENGINEER
: Do not harm : Keep orderly procedures : Keep your promises : Do your duty : Follow your destiny : Find the real facts : Make it work
(Butler, 1992)
What is Morals? Morals differ somewhat from ethics because morals reflect the predominant feelings of a culture about ethical issues.
e.g. In almost all cultures, it is certainly
unethical to kill someone; however, when a country declares war, most of its people accept the necessity of killing the enemy. Therefore, it is a moral thing to do even though ethics says that killing is wrong. No nation has ever declared an immoral war.
What is Environmental Ethics?
Environmental Ethics is a topic of applied ethics that examines the moral basis of environmental responsibility. Also known as environmental philosophy that considers the ethical relationship between human beings and the environment in which they live.
It exerts influence on a large range of disciplines including law, sociology, theology, economics and geography.
It is about how human beings should relate to their environment, how to use Earth’s resources, and how to treat other species, both plant and animal.
What is Environmental Values
Concerned with the basis and justification of environmental policy. Aims to bring together contributions from philosophy, law, economics and other disciplines
relate to the present and future environment of humans and other species clarify the relationship between practical policy issues and more fundamental underlying principles or assumptions.
Example of Environmental Values 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7.
Take from the environment – only resource needed for human life. Modify the environment – only when the present environment is not conducive for human Protects the public health – preserve the environment from deterioration. Conserve renewable resources – planned and managed extraction. Preserve special environment – nature reserve e.g. Kuala Gula, Hutan Belum, Gua Niah, Bukit Cherakah, Taman Negara, Tasik Bera, etc. Protect special habitats – protect special animals, protect endangered species. Protect the integrity of the global ecosystem – without it people won’t survive.
Three primary theories of moral responsibility regarding the environment:
1.
Anthropocentric (human-centered) - a theory of moral responsibility that views the environment as a resource for humankind.
2.
Biocentric (life-centered) - a theory of moral responsibility that states that all forms of life have an inherent right to exist. Human have no right to reduce the richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs. Living simple in means and co-exist with the rest of nature.
Ecocentrism - an approach to environmental responsibility that maintains that the environment deserves direct moral consideration rather than consideration derived merely from human interests. 3.
The Goal of Environmental Ethics
Focuses on the moral foundation of environmental responsibility and how far this responsibility extends.
WHY DO WE NEED ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS? Our natural resources are limited. We are part of the environment. -every living thing is interrelated -concept of carrying capacity -Biogeochemical cycles We must understand and cooperate with nature. Our action must be ecological sound.
Environmental Ethics, then, might include such issues as the following:
Why care about nature “for itself” when only people “matter”?
When species or landscapes or wilderness areas are destroyed, what of value, is lost to mankind?
Will future generations “miss what we have” taken from them”? (How could they if they never will know what they have “lost”?
Do future generations (who, after all, do not exist now) have a “right” now to a clean and natural environment when their time comes?
Can man “improve” upon nature? How? What constitute improvement?
Does the Earth exist for the benefit of humanity?
Do humans have any ethical obligations with respect to the natural world.
Do we have the right to take all the Earth’s for our own use?
Do we have a responsibility to be good stewards over Earth?
There are many ethical decisions that human beings make with respect to the environment, for example:
Should we continue to clear cut the forests for the sake of human consumption? Should we continue to make gasoline powered vehicles, depleting fossil fuels resources while the technology exists to create zeroemission vehicles? What environmental obligations do we need to keep for future generations? Is it right for humans to knowingly cause the extinction of a species for the (perceived or real) convenience of humanity?
If the earth is meant to be used by humans,
Will these actions be morally permissible or even required?
Is it morally acceptable for farmers in non-industrial countries to practice slash and burn techniques to clear areas for agriculture?
Consider a mining company which has performed open pit mining in some previously unspoiled area. Does the company have a moral obligation to restore the landform and surface ecology?
It is often said to be morally wrong for human beings to pollute and destroy parts of the natural environment and to consume a huge proportion of the planet’s natural resources.
If that is wrong, is it simply because a sustainable environment is essential to ( present and future) human well-being? OR Is such behavior also wrong because the natural environment and/or its various contents have certain values in their own right so that these values ought to be respected and protected in any case?
Inculcation of Environmental Ethics
Family Education – formal and informal Related agencies Promoting models of sustainability Everybody’s role Faith
The end
Take care of the earth…
AED 1262 INTRO. TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE semester 2, 2007/2008
TOPIC TEN:
INTRO. TO ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
What is ethics? o
Define fundamentally what is right and what is wrong, regardless of cultural differences. e.g. most cultures have a reverence for life and hold that all humans have a right to live. It is considered unethical to deprive an individual of life.
Every discipline has their own work ethic , such as:
MEDICINE LAW BUSINESS MILITARY
INTELLECTUAL
SCIENTIST ENGINEER
: Do not harm : Keep orderly procedures : Keep your promises : Do your duty : Follow your destiny : Find the real facts : Make it work
(Butler, 1992)
What is Morals? Morals differ somewhat from ethics because morals reflect the predominant feelings of a culture about ethical issues.
e.g. In almost all cultures, it is certainly
unethical to kill someone; however, when a country declares war, most of its people accept the necessity of killing the enemy. Therefore, it is a moral thing to do even though ethics says that killing is wrong. No nation has ever declared an immoral war.
What is Environmental Ethics?
Environmental Ethics is a topic of applied ethics that examines the moral basis of environmental responsibility. Also known as environmental philosophy that considers the ethical relationship between human beings and the environment in which they live.
It exerts influence on a large range of disciplines including law, sociology, theology, economics and geography.
It is about how human beings should relate to their environment, how to use Earth’s resources, and how to treat other species, both plant and animal.
What is Environmental Values
Concerned with the basis and justification of environmental policy. Aims to bring together contributions from philosophy, law, economics and other disciplines
relate to the present and future environment of humans and other species clarify the relationship between practical policy issues and more fundamental underlying principles or assumptions.
Example of Environmental Values 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7.
Take from the environment – only resource needed for human life. Modify the environment – only when the present environment is not conducive for human Protects the public health – preserve the environment from deterioration. Conserve renewable resources – planned and managed extraction. Preserve special environment – nature reserve e.g. Kuala Gula, Hutan Belum, Gua Niah, Bukit Cherakah, Taman Negara, Tasik Bera, etc. Protect special habitats – protect special animals, protect endangered species. Protect the integrity of the global ecosystem – without it people won’t survive.
Three primary theories of moral responsibility regarding the environment:
1.
Anthropocentric (human-centered) - a theory of moral responsibility that views the environment as a resource for humankind.
2.
Biocentric (life-centered) - a theory of moral responsibility that states that all forms of life have an inherent right to exist. Human have no right to reduce the richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs. Living simple in means and co-exist with the rest of nature.
Ecocentrism - an approach to environmental responsibility that maintains that the environment deserves direct moral consideration rather than consideration derived merely from human interests. 3.
The Goal of Environmental Ethics
Focuses on the moral foundation of environmental responsibility and how far this responsibility extends.
WHY DO WE NEED ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS? Our natural resources are limited. We are part of the environment. -every living thing is interrelated -concept of carrying capacity -Biogeochemical cycles We must understand and cooperate with nature. Our action must be ecological sound.
Environmental Ethics, then, might include such issues as the following:
Why care about nature “for itself” when only people “matter”?
When species or landscapes or wilderness areas are destroyed, what of value, is lost to mankind?
Will future generations “miss what we have” taken from them”? (How could they if they never will know what they have “lost”?
Do future generations (who, after all, do not exist now) have a “right” now to a clean and natural environment when their time comes?
Can man “improve” upon nature? How? What constitute improvement?
Does the Earth exist for the benefit of humanity?
Do humans have any ethical obligations with respect to the natural world.
Do we have the right to take all the Earth’s for our own use?
Do we have a responsibility to be good stewards over Earth?
There are many ethical decisions that human beings make with respect to the environment, for example:
Should we continue to clear cut the forests for the sake of human consumption? Should we continue to make gasoline powered vehicles, depleting fossil fuels resources while the technology exists to create zeroemission vehicles? What environmental obligations do we need to keep for future generations? Is it right for humans to knowingly cause the extinction of a species for the (perceived or real) convenience of humanity?
If the earth is meant to be used by humans,
Will these actions be morally permissible or even required?
Is it morally acceptable for farmers in non-industrial countries to practice slash and burn techniques to clear areas for agriculture?
Consider a mining company which has performed open pit mining in some previously unspoiled area. Does the company have a moral obligation to restore the landform and surface ecology?
It is often said to be morally wrong for human beings to pollute and destroy parts of the natural environment and to consume a huge proportion of the planet’s natural resources.
If that is wrong, is it simply because a sustainable environment is essential to ( present and future) human well-being? OR Is such behavior also wrong because the natural environment and/or its various contents have certain values in their own right so that these values ought to be respected and protected in any case?
Inculcation of Environmental Ethics
Family Education – formal and informal Related agencies Promoting models of sustainability Everybody’s role Faith
The end
Take care of the earth…
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