Environmental Ethics Lecture, 01/06/2009

Environmental Ethics, 01/06/2009

textbook is on reserve
biocentrism: nature has intrinsic moral worth/value
anthropocentrism: instrumental value, natural materials: wood is useful for building, etc.
theocentrism: natural world is valuable because it is the creation of the Almighty, next:
where is the locus of value?

Levels of organization
1. individual organisms
1a. organs
1b. cells
1c. macromolecules
1d. molecules
1e. atoms
1f. Subatomic particles
2. species
3. ecosystems


2 ways/same thing
Don’t lie: rule
Be Honest: moral character/virtue

Ethics, how should we conduct ourselves?
Sustainability: practical solutions
Technology: environmental problems from cutting down trees, damming rivers-all applications of technology

Responsible Agency
1. norms/values
2. practical knowledge: carbon cycle, river flows, relationship between logging practices with respect to soil erosion
What matters/what works: practical facts of things. It may help to take a tightly wound friend out that never has fun out for a drink but you wouldn’t do that for a friend with a drinking problem.

Approach
1. analyze/clarify-understand
2. evaluate

Vegetarian is Native American for “Bad Hunter.” LOL

Last Man Thought Experiment
intuition pumps
one dude left
one last redwood tree
is it morally permissible to cut down the last tree just because?
cut it, out of spite?
something objectionable about wanton destruction-biocentric, nature has intrinsic value

Sell To Main Street
1. Future Generations
2. Man is a steward of the earth, Genesis

Vitamin C: instrumental value, objectively
last redwood, definitely has instrumental value. Intrinsic value?
What makes us valuable?