Environmental Ethics and Worldviews

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Environmental Ethics and Worldviews
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Universalists

• Fundamental principles of ethics are unchanging,
  universal and eternal
• Right and wrong exist

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Relativists

• Moral principles are relative to a particular
  person, society or situation
• Right and wrong are defined by the person

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Nihilists

• World makes no sense at all and there is no
  meaning to life
• Right and wrong do not exist only power for
  survival

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Utilitarians

• Any action is correct that produces the greatest
  good for the greatest number of people
• Right and wrong depend upon pleasure

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Postmodernism

• Perceptions are arbitrary
• Right and wrong are due to perceptions
• Wilderness is to some a park and to some a forest.

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Moral Extensionism
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Moral agents

• Beings capable of acting moral or immoral
• Has ability to apply moral principles when making
  decisions
• Free to act on morals
• Held accountable

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Moral Subjects

• Lacks abilities to make moral decisions
• Can suffer harm from moral decisions
• Must be considered by moral agents
• Benefits from decisions of moral agents

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Values

• You will be as much value to others as you have
  been to yourself.
• Marcus T. Cicero

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Philosophy

• Approach
• Derived from our surroundings
• Derived from our beliefs

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Intrinsic Value

• Value of something reguardless of our perception
  of that value.
• The right to exist independent of others

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Inherent Value

• Value that we place on something.
• It only has the value we perceive.

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Role of Humans

• How we percieve ourselves in nature
• Part of the system
• Excluded from the system
• Dominion over the system

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Problem Solving

• Approach to world
• How we perceive ourselves and deal with issues

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Worldviews
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Anthropocentric

• Philosophy - Humans are planets most important
  species
• Intrinsic value Humans
• Instrumental value Nature
• Role of Humans - Masters
• Problem solving - economic growth, management and
  technology

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Biocentric

• All life forms have value regardless of
  importance to humans
• Intrinsic value Species
• Instrumental value Abiotic Nature
• Role of Humans One of many
• Problem solving - regulation and limitation

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Ecocentric

• We are all part of an interconnected system
• Intrinsic value Processes
• Instrumental value Individuals
• Role of Humans - Destroyers
• Problem solving Education

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Stewardship

• Philosophy custodians of resources
• Intrinsic value Humans and nature
• Instrumental value tools
• Role of Humans - Caretakers
• Problem solving - Management

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Animal Rights

• Philosophy each individual organism has value
• Intrinsic value Individuals
• Instrumental value Processes
• Role of Humans - Equals
• Problem solving - demonstration

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The End