Environmentslism

Paper should be 6 pages not including the bibliography. From each discussion topic in the attatched file, you should answer 3 questions. Each discussion should be 2 pages long. For the questions with page numbers on them, I can take pictures of the pages and send them to you if you choose to respond to those questions. A bibliography should be included.

Midterm Review Sheet PHL 240

Questions contributed by instructor are in yellow highlight.

 

Discussion One: Anthropocentrism

• How did the Majora Carter’s video reflect Leopold’s definition of land ethic? Have her projects contributed to the reflection of human beings as citizenship of the land, or responsible conquerors?


• What are Naess’ observations on the concept of biocentrism?


• What is the “basic human chauvinism” principle?


• Why are we not educated about nature and what is going on with nature in schools?


• How has industry affected the way in which children perceive nature and does it gear them towards biophilia or biophobia?


• How can you persuade a community to appreciate the natural environment if they are so used to technology?


• If it takes twice the work of an biophiliac to fix the mistakes of an biophobe, then where do we begin with fixing the damage thats already been done, when a large amount of the population are biophobes?

• Should the idea of capitalism change in different parts of the world? "Is it possible, that humanity will love life enough to save it?" (145)

 

Discussion Two: Consumerism

• Discuss the "impartial ethic" (p 95-96). How does this treatment of a relationship affect ones call to help others whom they will never meet in person? Should our current corporate system gravitate towards an impartial ethic, such that it would serve the global community and not itself?


• Explain the "follow-the-crowd" ethics (p. 104), and how this may relate to the giving of foreign aid within developed countries.


• In care ethics, why are we indifferent to those we do not care for? How can this ethics challenge the Transnational Corporation (TNC)?


• When it comes to energy production, does proper sourcing of materials coincide with Botkin’s call for a new ecology?


• Through research conducted by the United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice (RSJ) , it was found that “the most significant variable in determining the location of commercial hazardous waste facilities; communities with the greatest number of commercial hazardous waste facilities had the highest percentage of nonwhite residents”. (Foster & Cole, 122).What necessary steps are needed to eliminate environmental racism as a whole? Will those steps disallow anyone from being subjected to unsafe living conditions and health risks caused by environmental racism despite their financial income or race?

• Discuss “white flight” and gentrification. How do these both contribute to environmental racism and the injustices faced by poor communities of color and the ways in which commercial choices are made?

 

 

 

Discussion Three: Ethical Theories

• By applying Paul Taylor’s four basic rules of a biocentric outlook to our everyday life, how might we adapt a different outlook to the natural world?


• What are some moral obligations in terms of “a community” we can use now?


• Why are ethical principles (when correct) considered universal and assessed over the class of ideal situations? (pg 43)


• How would you describe the species bias? (pg 45)


• Based on Taylor's four rules for the respect of nature, should zoos be considered unjust under the terms of environmental ethics?


• According to consequential moral theory, (61-63) what is impermissible and what is obligatory? If improving consequentialism means tailoring the efficiency of the system, then what might be ‘reasonably required’ when it comes to environmental issues involving water?


• If, in deontological ethics (63-66), natural objects have intrinsic value, and principles are established to affirm or permit action based on an a priori value, then can a glacier have ‘rights’? (64).