EnvironmentalEthics(ENV170301) McGowanSouthRoom206 [TU/TH4:20pm5:50pm] Instructor:Dr.AnthonyPaulSmith(anthonypaul.smith@gmail.com) 7739319570(cell) Officehours:Byappointmentonly CourseDescription Ourageisdominatedbyacontradiction:ontheonehandwearebombardedeveryday withapocalyptictalesrelatedtoglobalclimatechange,andontheotherhandthere appearstobenomarshallingofsignificantcollectivewillrequiredtodealwiththe problem.Thereasonforthislackofwillmaylieinlargepartwithafailureonthepartof ourthinkingandthusaddressingourimplicitethicalreasoningconcerningthe environmentmayaidatleastalittleinturningthetideofenvironmentaldegradation. Foritmaybethatoneaspectoftheenvironmentwehavedamagedisourthinkingitself.

. Togettogripswiththechallengespresentedtophilosophybytheecologicalcrisiswe willbeginbylookingattworecentenvironmentaldisasters,the2010gulfoilspilland the2011Fukushimanucleardisaster.Wewillthenexaminetraditionalapproaches withinethicalphilosophygearedtowardsthinkingthroughenvironmentalproblems beforeturningtosubsidiaryissueswithinenvironmentalethics.Thesewillinclude animalethics,thecloselyrelatedethicsoffood,andtheethicalproblemspresentedbya growinghumanpopulationandthecontinuedurbanizationofourspecies.Wewillthen turnourattentiontocriticismsofthesetraditionalformsofenvironmentalethicsinthe hopesofseeinghowanew,moreadequateethicaltheorycouldbeformed. Theclassisasurveyandthusattheendweasaclasswillhavegrappledwithanumber oftraditionsofthought,theformsofwhichyouwillbeabletoidentifyinpublicdebates surroundingtheissuesoutsideoftheclassroom,andthenseewherethesetraditional formsofthinkinghavefailedus.Youwillalsoseeissuesandethicalproblemsthatmay nothavebeenapparenttoyoupriortothecourseandbechallengedinyourown personalpracticesasyoucometoseeyourselfasanecologicallyembeddedsubject. Finallywewillseesomeofthelatestattemptstorethinkourveryactofthinking ecologicallyinordertomovepasttheimpasseofthetraditionaldebates. LearningOutcomes Uponcompletingthecoursethestudentshouldbeableto: engagephilosophicallywithenvironmentalproblems; identifyandexplainthedifferentethicalpositionspresentinenvironmentalism; beabletoidentifythecentralthemesandargumentsofthetextsandstatethem inaclearandsympatheticwayinclassdiscussion; beabletoformulatecriticismsinawaythatisattentivetotheoriginalauthors intentandargumentation. GradeSummary Therewillbetwotests(comprisedofshortanswerquestionsandessayquestions), seminardiscussions,andafinalpaper(10pages,doublespaced).Eachtestwillcount for25%(foratotalof50%)ofyourfinalgrade,thefinalpaperwillcountfor35%,and finally15%forseminar/classparticipation(whichincludesattendance).

Itisimportantthatyoudonotmissaclassandespeciallyanexam.Anymakeupforthe inclassexamswillonlybegivenduetoextremesituations,andthisisdoneveryrarely. Youmusthavepriorpermissionfromtheinstructortotakeamakeup. ThepaperisdueviaDesire2Learn(clicktheDropboxtab)ormyemailbytheendof theday(11:59PM)onWednesday,June6th.Thepaperistobesubmittedelectronically only.IpreferthatthepaperbeaPDF.Detailsconcerningthepaper(itsformatand content)willbepassedoutafterthefirstexam.Latepaperswillnotbeaccepted. Cheating/plagiarismwillbedealtwithastheseriousinfractionsthattheyare,possibly leadingtofailure;seetheStudentHandbookfordetails. CellPhoneandLaptopPolicy WhileIunderstandtheaddictiontocellphones,especiallysmartphones,thematerial wearestudyingisverydifficultandthereforerequiresyourundividedattention.Ifyou arecaughtusingyourphoneduringalectureyouwillbegivenonewarning(either verballyorbyemail).Ifyouarecaughtasecondtimeormoreyouwillfaceareduction offivepointsforeachoffensefromyourhighestscoringpieceofcoursework.Pleaseturn allcellphonesoffduringthelecture.IfIcandoit,socanyou. Laptopsareacceptableintheclass,butfornotetakingonly.Ifyouappearnottobe payingattentionbecauseyouredistractedbysomethingnonlecturerelatedonyour laptopthenIwillaskyoutoreadthelastlineofnotesyouhavejustwritten.Ifyoucant thenyouwillbegivenawarning(eitherverballyorbyemail).Ifyouarecaughtasecond timeormoreyouwillfaceareductionoffivepointsforeachoffensefromyourhighest scoringpieceofcoursework. Desire2Learn PleasemakesurethatyouchecktheemailattachedtoyourDesire2Learnprofile.Iwill besendingemailstothataddress.Allcoursedocuments,powerpoints,audiooflectures, andotherhelpfullinkswillbeavailableontheDesire2Learncoursepage. RemarksonLectures,Readings,Films,andClassroomDiscussions Wearedealingwithadultthemesandarangeofdifferentbeliefsystemsinthisclass. Youwillbeexposedtodifferentwaysofthinkingbothinthereadings,thelectures,and discussionsinclass.Attimesyoumayfindyourselfoffendedbyoneormoreoftheideas presentedandwhenyouarenotoffendedafellowclassmatemaywellbe.Thisisok! Whileofcourseverbalorphysicalabuseisstrictlynottolerated,wehavetogiveeach otherpermissiontobeoffensive(withintheboundsofrespectfuldiscourse)andtobe offended.Byremaininginthiscourseyouareagreeingtohaverespectfulconversations aboutawiderangeofdifferentbeliefs. Thisgoesespeciallyforthefilmsandclipswewillwatchinclass.AttimesIhavechosen materialthatmaybeoffensivetosome.SomefilmswillberatedRandsomeclipsfrom TVshowswillberatedTVMA.Byremainingenrolledinthisclassafterthefirstsession youareenteringintoanonverbalagreementthatyouunderstandandacceptyouwill beaskedtowatchthesefilmsandclips. RequiredTexts Coursereader(foundonD2L)withselectionsfrom: o MurrayBookchin,SocialEcologyandCommunalism(AKPress) GilbertSimondon,TwoLessonsonAnimalandMan(Univocal) AndrewLightandHolmesRolstonIII(editors),EnvironmentalEthics:An Anthology(Blackwell) AldoLeopold,SandCountryAlmanacandSketchesHereandThere(OxfordUP)

 TimothyMorton,TheEcologicalThought(OxfordUP) ExtraCredit Youmaychooseabookorauthorfromthelistbelowandwriteabookreport(orsimilar reportontheworkofanartistorartists).Afterreadingthebook,whichyoumustnever havereadbefore,youwillwriteabookreportofapproximately1,000to1,250words thatisilluminatedbyyourunderstandingofthevarioustheoreticalperspectiveson natureandtheenvironmentthatwediscussduringthequarter.Itmayaddupto20 pointstoyourfinalgrade. Hereisalongunsystematic,idiosyncratic,bynomeansexhaustivelistofbooksthatyou mayconsiderforyourextracreditreport;ifyouwishtoreportonabooknotfromthis list,pleaseconfirmyourselectionwithmeinadvance: HenryDavidThoreau:choosefromanyofhisnumeroussuitableworks,including WaldenandTheMaineWoods,orfromoneofthemanyavailableanthologies RalphWaldoEmerson:Natureandotherrelevantessays,availableinvarious anthologiesofEmersonswork JohnMuir:choosefromanyofthenumerousworksbyoneofthefoundersofthe preservationmovement,e.g.,MyFirstSummerintheSierra,TheMountainsof CaliforniaandOurNationalParks,orelseselectananthologysuchasNature Writings WilliamWordsworth:ThePrelude;orthenumerousanthologiesofhispoetryand prose,includingperhapshisguidetotheLakeDistrictofEngland JohnRuskin:the19thcenturyEnglishartcriticandsocialtheoristwrotealsoon environmentalissuesandtheeffectsofindustrializationandurbanization;Iknowof noworkdedicatedtotheseconcernsalone;however,referencestospecificessays byRuskincanbefoundinRuskinandEnvironment:TheStormCloudofthe NineteenthCentury,editedbyMichaelWheeler. AnnieDillard:PilgrimatTinkerCreekPulitzerPrizewinningmeditationsonthe naturalworld TerryTempestWilliams:RefugememoirbyaMormonfeministenvironmentalist peaceactivist MichaelPollan:SecondNature:AGardenersEducationconfrontingnatureinyour yard;orTheBotanyofDesirehowplants(theappletree,cannabis,thepotatoand thetulip)domesticatedhumans;orTheOmnivoresDilemma:ANaturalHistoryof FourMealsfromMcDonalds,WholeFoods,asustainablefarmandthewild. BillMcKibben:TheEndofNaturepresentdayAdirondackecosage EdwardAbbey:DesertSolitaire:ASeasonintheWildernessthereflectionsofan ecocurmudgeon GarySnyder:ThePracticeoftheWildacollectionofessaysbythePulitzerPrize winningpoetandcounterculturehero,theguywhointroducedJackKerouacand theBeatgenerationtoZenBuddhism BarryLopez:ArcticDreams:ImaginationandDesireinaNorthernLandscapebythe guywhowrotethewolfbook BillBryson:AWalkintheWoodsahumoristhikingtheAppalachianTrail BruceChatwin:TheSonglinestheresultofhistravelsamongtheAustralian Aborigines

RobertTonkinson:TheMarduAboriginesanaccountoftraditionallifein Australiaswesterndesert EricHansen:StrangerintheForest:OnFootacrossBorneoanaccountofhistravels withindigenoushuntergatherersinthefastdisappearingrainforestofthisisland offthesoutheastcorneroftheAsianlandmass JonKrakauer:IntoThinAirriskinglife,limbandyourbraincells,nottomention maybeyournoseandtoes,onMt.Everest ErnestCallenbach:Ecotopiaanovelenvisioninganecologicallysustainablefuture whileclingingtosomedatedsocialmores DaveForeman:Ecodefense:AFieldGuidetoMonkeywrenchinghowtoengagein ecosabotage Andfinally,foranythoseinterestedinartandarthistory,perhapsananalysisofJ. M.W.Turnerslandscapesandseascapes;thepaintingsoftheHudsonRiverSchool; thephotographyofAnselAdams;ortheenvironmentalsculpturesofAndy Goldsworthy. Ifthereissomeotherworkonwhichyouwouldliketowriteareport,youare welcometosuggestittome;Ilookforwardtoyoursuggestions. OutlineofCourseandReadingSchedule Readingslistedaretobereadforthatclassperiod.IfthereadingislistedunderSeptember 14th,itistobereadpriortotheSeptember14thsessionofclass.Thescheduleand proceduresforthiscoursearesubjecttochangeintheeventofextenuatingcircumstances; changeswillbeannouncedinclass. Eachclasswillconsistoflectureandorganizedgroupdiscussionofthetext. March27th Introduction Part1:SurveyingtheFieldofEnvironmentalEthics March29th Palmer,pp.1535(EnvironmentalEthics=EE) Watchdocumentariesbeforeclass(linksalsoonD2L). http://youtu.be/LUyUqoMH7A http://vimeo.com/24340880 April3rd Leopold,pp.147 April5th Leopold,pp.4794 April10th Leopold,pp.95164 April12th Leopold,pp.165226 April17th Singer,pp.5564(EE),Regan,p.6573(EE) April19th Taylor,pp.7484(EE);Katz,pp.8594(EE) April24th Varner,pp.95113(EE);Cahen,pp.114128(EE) April26th Simondon,pp.3188(trytoreadtheintroductionaswell) May1st Rolston,pp.143153(EE);Stone,pp.193202(EE);Callicott,pp.

203219(EE) May3rd May8th May10th May15th May17th May22nd May24th May29th May31st Light,pp.229248(EE);Fox,pp.252261(EE);Naess,pp.262 274(EE) Test#1(takehome),NoClass NoClass GaardandGruen,pp.276293(EE);WarranandCheney,pp.294 305(EE);Bookchin(pdfonD2L) Rolston,pp.451462(EE);Hartley,pp.478486(EE);Barry,pp. 487499(EE) Morton,pp.158 Morton,pp.5997 Morton,pp.98135 Test#2