Introduction to Contemporary Environmental Issues PHIL 2500.01 - Spring 1996 Max Oelschlaeger

Terrill Hall 316, 1:30-3:20 p.m.
Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies
University of North Texas
Office: Terrill Hall 333, tel. 565-3331, fax 565-4448, email: max@unt.edu
Office hours: TWR 11:00-12:00. and by appointment on Thursday

Course Description

This course explores ethical, ecological and policy dimensions of such international environmental issues as atmospheric and water pollution, global climate change, care of agricultural lands, water scarcity, overharvest of renewable resources, loss of biodiversity and world population growth. Environmental problems will be related to other social and ethical concerns. Satisfies Crosscultural and Global Studies requirement of the University Core Curriculum.

Required texts

Armstrong & Botzler, Environmental Ethics

E. P. Odum, Ecology and Our Endangered Life Support Systems

L. Brown, et al., State of the World 1995

Daniel Quinn, Ishmael

Course Procedures, Guidelines and Grading Policy

The reading load during the course of the semester is moderate, tapering off near the end to allow time for completion of the term paper. Please note the non-negotiable requirements (see below) for timely submission of assigned work. Attendance is not required per se, but the examinations heavily reflect class lectures and discussion (including guest lectures). Without regular attendance the exams will be extremely difficult. Based on last semester's results, it is fair to say that students who did not regularly (i.e., every day) attend class will almost surely fail. You should take extensive notes, not only for purposes of the examination, but also for use in writing your term paper.

Your grade for the semester is based on the following schedule: short paper 10%; mid-terms 20% each (40% total); final 30%; term paper 20%. All work and the course grade will be determined on a standard scale 90-80-70-60 (A-B-C-D respectively).

Examinations

The midterms (2) and final examination will consist of three sections: objective questions, primarily based on the reading with some lecture material (30%); identification questions (short answer), primarily based on lecture (30%); and an essay question (long answer), based on reading, lecture, class discussion, and your own reflections (40%).

Term Paper: Analyzing an Environmental Issue

Virtually all global issues have local manifestations (as will be discussed in class). For example, global climate warming-a scientifically established reality-is in part a function of the CO2 emissions that come from Texas automobiles. Most of us drive our own car; it follows that we are part of the problem. Solving global problems thus begins at home. Further, it is easy to recommend changes in life style for other people in other nations. Environmental policy issues are most interesting and difficult when we start to consider our own behavior, as Americans, as Texans, and as individuals living in the metroplex. By considering our own life style we might also develop a deeper grasp of the difficult crosscultural aspects of contemporary environmental issues.

Accordingly, your assignment is to identify a local (either Denton, Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, North Central Texas, or Texas) environmental issue, show how the problem fits into the global context, provide an ecological-ethical analysis using one specific theory (e.g., ecofeminism, land ethics, deep ecology, and so on), and recommend policy initiatives and/or actions apropos of the issue. You must submit a 100 word proposal on your topic and receive approval before proceeding. The Dallas Morning News, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Denton Record-Chronicle as well as other media are excellent sources of information and leads. You should supplement such information with additional research (which might include interviews, scientific articles, media pieces and so on). The term paper should be a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 typed pages (including notes and references), double spaced, one inch margins on all sides. Please staple your term paper in the upper left corner, write your name in the upper right hand corner, center the title on the first line of the first page (no separate title page), and do not use folders of any kind. Plagiarism is an automatic F for the course. The term paper is due the last Thursday of the regular semester. Late term papers receive an automatic one letter grade deduction. No exceptions for any reason (including computer glitches, personal tragedy, infected hang nails, etc.

Provisional Schedule of Topics, Discussion, and Readings

UNIT ONE: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Weeks 1-6

• Overview of the course. Environmental issues, ethics and the problem of anthropocentrism. Begin reading Ishmael. A two page paper (typed, double- spaced, 500-700 words) dealing with the issue of strong anthropocentrism is due on the third Tuesday of the semester. Late papers are given a mandatory one-letter grade deduction. No exceptions for any reason.
• Early in the semester we will spend one session examining careers in environmental studies, environmental sciences, environmental law, and allied fields.
• Discussion of Ishmael in the context of strong anthropocentrism. Compare and contrast anthropocentric and ecocentric positions, instrumental and intrinsic values. Is the problem of anthropocentrism compounded by androcentrism? ethnocentrism? egocentrism?
• The issues. Biodiversity, climate change, population, equity (or environmental justice), Third World, and so on. Are these issues also Texas issues? Read Brown: chapters will be assigned in class. As you read Brown, try re-contextualizing these chapters in terms of Texas, the metroplex, even Denton County and the City of Denton.
• As this unit progresses you may find it helpful to read portions of Odum as they bear on assigned reading and discussion. For example, 122ff offers useful information on climate warming. Similarly, material in Armstrong and Botzler may be useful, such as the Hardin essay, 224ff.
• First midterm examination.

UNIT TWO: ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

Weeks 7-12

• Does environmental science alone solve all problems? Why is environmental ethics needed? To what end? Is ecological philosophy (hereafter, ecophilosophy) an end in itself? Read pp. xv-xvii in Armstrong and Botzler (hereafter A&B) before the first class. Also read the Epilogue in Odum, giving close attention to his distinction between __short-term__ and __long-term__ views. Read Hardin in A&B, p. 224 ff.
• Language and environmental ethics. The importance of language. Basic terms. Building a technical vocabulary. Is there one, true, universal environmental ethic? Read Stone in A&B, p. 76ff. Continue reading the introductory sections only (e.g., 1-3, 52-55) in A&B.
• Survey of various environmental philosophies. Deep ecology (Naess); land ethics (Leopold and Callicott); ecofeminism (Salleh, Griffin, and Ruether); biocentric theories (Taylor); ecocentric theories (Rolston); weak anthropocentric intrinsic value theories (Hargrove). See selections as appropriate in A&B for the individuals named above. Consider reading entire sections of material in A&B that interest you, particularly in light of writing your term paper. For example, chapter 9 focuses on ecofeminism, chapter 8 on deep ecology and land ethics. Other approaches to ecophilosophy are more scattered; for example, those interested in wilderness philosophy might read Rolston, 56 ff, Cheney, 86ff, Thoreau, 108 ff., and Muir, 118-130.
• Survey continued. Aesthetic theories (Sepanma, Leopold, Callicott); RCBA theories (Shrader-Frechette); wilderness theories (Snyder, Wilson); native American theories (Deloria and others); religious theories, including Jewish, Christian, wiccan, native American, and goddess theories (Oelschlaeger); and postmodern theories (Cheney, Snyder).
• Second midterm examination.

UNIT THREE: PERSPECTIVES AND POLICIES, THEORY AND PRACTICE

Weeks 13-15

• One objective for this unit is to develop a keener understanding of how environmental ethics and environmental science interact in devising solutions for specific environmental issues. I hope to challenge the misconception that __philosophy bakes no bread__ (that is, the belief that it is impractical) by showing how environmental ethics bears on real-world problems.
• More generally, we will begin to talk-the-talk of environmental ethics, recognizing that (i) articulate and insightful ethical positions can be found in more places than philosophy books and (ii) that a pragmatic environmental ethic leads to a changed practice (ranging from policy making and implementation to personal behavior). Read Odum, chapters 1-3 & 8. Also review the Epilogue.
• Another goal is to achieve a synthesis that cuts across the established dualisms of Western civilization, such as culture and nature, theory and practice, facts and values, them and us. On such a basis we might actually be capable of envisioning a sustainable society (note: the idea of a sustainable society is neither equivalent to nor reducible to the dominant discourse of sustainable development).
• The notion of a sustainable society will be discussed in some detail. We will examine some of the specific policy recommendations and the underlying scientific and ethical rationales from the National Commission on the Environment (a prestigious, blue ribbon panel of experts that considered many of the issues involved in building a sustainable American society).

Week 16

• Comprehensive final examination.