Environmental Ethics, Justice, and World Views

In this course we introduce the concept of environmental ethics, a philosophy that extends the ethical concepts we traditionally apply to human behavior to the natural world. We will study the history of environmental ethics, the concept of environmental justice, and explore how our views about the natural world have changed over time. Philosophers have debated the concept of environmental ethics since the 1800s, although many consider it to be a relatively new discipline. In this course we identify key pioneers and events that have helped shape the global effort to help preserve our planet for future generations and species. We explore the notion of environmental justice and witness how a disregard for the environment can negatively impact entire communities. Finally, we explore political efforts that have promoted environmental sustainability in the United States and Europe. We see how our ethical beliefs and moral worldview can help shape the laws and regulations we create, in terms of our sense of ethical responsibility, social justice, and environmental sustainability.