Philosophical analysis of green issues is now a well-established and developing field. The course introduces students to key philosophical concepts used currently and gives them the opportunity to apply them. Knowledge of philosophy is not expected. The course will cover : Anthropocentric and ecocentric; Environmentalism and ecologism; self-regarding and other-regarding; boundaries and membership of the ‘moral community’; hierarchies and networks in the relationship between humans and the non-human natural world; green virtues
Course aim
Course aim The aim of the course is to introduce students to key concepts used in recent philosophical analyses of green issues and give them the opportunity to apply them to aspects they are interested in.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners
- You will benefit more form the course if you are able to do some reading or other tasks between class meetings.
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- explain the difference between anthropocentric and ecocentric, and between environmentalism and ecologism
- summarize and evaluate conflicting arguments for drawing the boundaries around the ‘moral community’
- identify the implications for people’s lives of a) a hierarchical and b) a network analysis of the relationship between humans and the non-human natural world
- give examples of how people’s lives may change if or when green virtues are practised
What else do I need to know?
This is an online course, so you will need reliable Internet access, an email address, a microphone and camera (often built into computers and other devices), and a CANVAS account (which is free).
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