Environmental Ethics

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Environmental Ethics
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We value things in two ways

• Instrumental (utilitarian) value valuing
  something for its benefits by using it
• Animals are valuable because we can eat them
• Intrinsic (inherent) value valuing something
  for its own sake because it has a right to exist
• Animals are valuable because they live their own
  lives
• Things can have both instrumental and intrinsic
  value
• But different people emphasize different values
• How we value something affects how we treat it

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Environmental ethics

• Environmental ethics application of ethical
  standards to relationships between human and
  nonhuman entities
• Hard to resolve it depends on the persons
  ethical standards and domain of ethical concern

Should we save resources for future generations?
When is it OK to destroy a forest to create jobs?
Is it OK for some communities to be exposed to
more pollution?
Should humans drive other species to extinction?
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People suffer external costs

• External costs include water pollution, health
  problems, property damage, and harm to other
  organism

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Definitions

• Moral Agents
• Those who have the freedom and rational capacity
  to be responsible for choices
• Those capable of moral reflection and decision.
• Example adult humans of sound mind
• Infants and mentally infirm adults are NOT moral
  agents

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Definitions

• Moral Standing
• If you have moral standing
• Your continued existence or welfare is valuable
  in itself (intrinsic value)
• Your interests and well-being must be weighed
  when deciding what is permissible to do.
• Example humans of all kinds
• Babies, children, adults, old people, etc.
• Women, different races, different cultures

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Definitions

• Moral Duties
• That which is owed by moral agents to those with
  moral standing.
• Example It is wrong to kill our children
  because we have a moral duty toward them

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Philosophical Issue

• Who or what has moral standing, and why?
• Does the environment have moral standing?
• Must look at criteria for moral standing
• What moral duty do we (moral agents) have toward
  those with moral standing?
• Different ethical positions suggest different
  moral duties.

Yosemite National Park
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Ideas on Criteria for Moral Standing

• Membership in the species Homo sapiens
• Humans have a soul
• Humans are moral agents
• and are responsible for knowing right from
  wrong
• Humans are intelligent
• Humans have personhood
• and self-consciousness
• Humans have language

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Ideas on Criteria for Moral Standing

• Sentience, the ability to feel pain
• Therefore extend moral standing to animals

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Ideas on Criteria for Moral Standing

• Being alive
• Therefore extend moral standing to animals and
  plants
• All living things.

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Ideas on Criteria for Moral Standing

• Being part of nature
• Therefore extend moral standing to the
• earth
• ecosystems
• rocks
• rivers
• plants animals
• the entire natural world

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Ethical Positions

• Anthropocentrism Human centered morality
• Only humans have intrinsic value and moral
  standing.
• The rest of the natural world has instrumental
  value (use to humans).

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Anthropocentrism

• We can best protect nature by looking out for
  human needs.
• Ex Ducks Unlimited preserves wetlands
• Ex Saving the rainforests will provide O2 and
  medicines for humans.
• Problem Would you blow up the world if you were
  the last human

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Ethical Positions

• Sentio-centrism Sentient-being centered morality
• All and only sentient beings (animals that feel
  pain) have intrinsic value and moral standing.
• The rest of the natural world has instrumental
  value.
• Both humans and sentient animals have rights
  and/or interests that must be considered

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Ethical Positions

• Biocentric Individualism Life-centered morality
• All and only living beings, specifically
  individual organisms (not species or ecosystems)
  have intrinsic value and moral standing.
• Humans are not superior to other life forms nor
  privileged, and must respect the inherent worth
  of every organism
• Humans should minimize harm and interference with
  nature eat vegetarian since less land needs to
  be cultivated.

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Ethical Positions

• Eco-centric Holism ecosystem centered morality
• Non-individuals (the earth as an interconnected
  ecosystem, species, natural processes) have moral
  standing or intrinsic value and are deserving of
  respect.
• Individuals must be concerned about the whole
  community of life/nature,
• Humans should strive to preserve ecological
  balance and stability.

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Patriarchal Dualisms

• Greek, Roman, Hebrew
• Humans are separate from
• and superior to nature
• Human, mind, rationality, and man
• are linked and superior
• Nature, body, feelings, and woman
• are linked, and inferior
• Justifies domination by men over
• Nature
• Women

Aristotle
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Ecofeminism

• Rejects Patriarchal Dualisms
• The domination of nature by men is wrong
• is similar to and related to the domination of
  women by men.
• Must break the pattern of "power over"
  relationships
• will benefit both women and the natural world.

Acid attack victims
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Feminism
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Deep Ecology

• Humans are deeply connected with nature.
• If humans identify with nature, then taking care
  of the natural world will become part of taking
  care of one's self.

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Bioregionalism

• Lead a simple life with local production of food
  and other products by people that you know
• Increases environmental awareness and caring
• decreases exploitation of the environment and
  people.

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Three ethical perspectives

• Anthropocentrism only humans have intrinsic
  value
• Biocentrism some nonhuman life has intrinsic
  value
• Ecocentrism whole ecological systems have value
• A holistic perspective that preserves connections

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The global value of all ecosystem services

• The global economic value of all ecosystem
  services equals US46 trillion/Year
• More than double the GDP of all nations combined
  (Currently 18 Trillion/Year)
• Protecting land gives 100 times more value than
  converting it to some other use

The Story of Stuff