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Environmental Ethics

Environmental Ethics. Overview. Introduction: Two Worldviews Central Questions Human-centered Approaches Expanded-circle Approaches Criteria of Moral Considerability Future Generations Predictability Models of Humans and Nature. Introduction: Two Worldviews.

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Environmental Ethics

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  1. Environmental Ethics (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  2. Overview • Introduction: Two Worldviews • Central Questions • Human-centered Approaches • Expanded-circle Approaches • Criteria of Moral Considerability • Future Generations • Predictability • Models of Humans and Nature (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  3. Introduction: Two Worldviews • Technological-scientific worldview • See nature as something to be manipulated • Natural worldviews • Emphasize connection between humans and nature (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  4. Central Questions • Who or what has moral weight, i.e., is deserving of direct moral consideration? • How much moral weight does each (type of) entity have? • How do we make decisions when there are conflicts among different types of beings, each of which have moral weight? (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  5. Human-centered Approaches Premise: the environment has no intrinsic value, only instrumental • Ethical egoist/libertarian • Group egoist • Utilitarian (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  6. Expanded-circle Approaches • Expanded utilitarianism • Includes animal suffering • Biocentrism • All living beings are deserving of moral consideration • Eco-centrism: includes the entire earth • Individualistic: weight to each and ever being or entity • Holistic: gives weight to each species, etc. (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  7. Criteria of Moral Considerability • Intrinsic value • What has value in itself? • Teleology • Flourishing in the natural world • Aesthetic value • Nature as object of beauty • Sacredness • Nature as holy (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  8. Future Generations What rights do future generations have? • Don’t yet exist • Competing with actually existing persons • Is it morally right to leave the next generation an environmentally-impoverished world? (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  9. Predictability Prediction in this area is extraordinarily difficult • Multiple variables • Long-term calculations (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

  10. Models of Humans and Nature • The object-of-use model • The object-of-appreciation model • The non-interference model • The apocalyptic model • Searching for a new model (c) Lawrence M. Hinman

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