ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

Course Content:

This course serves as an introduction to ethical issues regarding our environment, i.e. the natural world and the non-human entities in it. Questions asked and discussed will include, but are not limited to: What role does the environment play in human well-being? How should we go about making environmental policy decisions? How should animal suffering affect the way we treat non-human animals? What obligations, if any, do we have toward non-human animals, plants and/or eco-systems? Students are expected to have a comprehensive ethical understanding of environmental issues through these questions.

Course Objectives:

Students will:

• Analyze complex texts on environmental issues.
• Theorize and debate on the environmental issues using reasoned arguments.
• Assess other opinions and arguments on these issues, and give well-reasoned feedback.
• Develop and define a consistent system of ideas on ethical issues regarding the environment.