Philosophy 245: Environmental Philosophy

Schedule of Assignments, Fall 2012

1.      Aug 21: Introduction             


Ethics and Climate Change

2.      Aug 23: Stephen Gardner, “Ethics and Global Climate Change,” introduction to Stephen Gardiner, Simon Caney, Dale Jamieson, & Henry Shue, Climate Ethics: Essential Readings (Oxford, 2010) (hereafter, “Gardner”), pp. 3-35

3.      Aug 28: Derek Parfit, “Energy Policy and the Further Future: The Identity Problem,” in Gardner, pp. 112-121

4.      Aug 30: Henry Shue, “Deadly Delays, Saving Opportunities: Creating a More Dangerous World?” in Gardner, pp. 146-162.

5.      Sept 4: Simon Carey, “Climate Change, Human Rights, and Moral Thresholds,” in Gardner, pp. 163-177

6.      Sept 6: Peter Singer “One Atmosphere,” in Gardner, pp. 181-199.

7.      Sept 11: Stephen Gardner, “Is ‘Arming the Future’ with Geoengineering Really the Lesser Evil?: Some Doubts about the Ethics of Intentionally Manipulating the Climate System” in Gardner, pp. 284-312                                                          

8.      Sept 13: Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, “It’s Not My Fault,”in Gardner, pp. 332-346.

9.      Sept 18: Ty Raterman, “Bearing the Weight of the World: On the Extent of an Individual's Environmental Responsibility” on class webpage

10.    Sept 20: Exam on Ethics and Climate Change


The Ethics of Wild and Domesticated Animals

11.    Sept 25: Clare Palmer, Animal Ethics in Context (Columbia 2010) (hereafter “Palmer”), Introduction and Ch 1: Animals’ Capacities and Moral Status, pp. 1-24

12.    Sept 27: Palmer, Ch 2: Capacity-Oriented Accounts of Animal Ethics, pp. 25-43

13.    Oct 2: Palmer, Ch 3: Capacities, Contexts and Relations, pp. 44-62

14.    Oct 4: Palmer, Ch 4: Wildness, Domestication, and the Laissez-faire Intuition

15.    Oct 9: Palmer, Ch 5: Developing a New, Relational Approach, pp. 64-95

16.    Oct 11: Palmer, Ch 6: Past Harms and Special Obligations, pp. 96-114

17.    Oct 16: Palmer, Ch 7: Some Problems and Questions, pp. 115-140

18.    Oct 18: Palmer, Ch 8: Puzzling Through Some Cases and Conclusion, pp 141-166

19.    Oct 23: Exam of the Ethics of Wild and Domesticated Animals

Oct 23: Campus visit and talk by author Jonathan Foer on Eating Animals

 

Aesthetics and Nature

20.    Oct 25: Glenn Parsons, Aesthetics and Nature (Continuum, 2008) (hereafter “Parsons”), Ch 1: Approaching the Philosophy of Natural Beauty (1-17)

21.    Oct 30: Parsons, Ch 2: Imagination, Belief, and the Aesthetics of Nature (18-33)

22.    Nov 1: Parsons, Ch 3: Formalism (34-48)

Paper proposal due, Friday, Nov 2nd (by email)

Tues, Nov 6, no class, election day

23.    Nov 8: Parsons, Ch 4: Science and Nature Aesthetics (49-65)

24.    Nov 13: Parsons, Ch 5: Pluralism (66-80)

25.    Nov 15: Parsons, Ch 6: Nature and the Disembodied Aesthetic (81-94)

Paper Due, Friday, Nov 16th (paper copy)

26.    Nov 20: Parsons, Ch 7: Aesthetics and the Preservation of Nature (95-113)

Thanksgiving break

27.    Nov 27: Katherine Robinson and Kevin Elliott "Environmental Aesthetics and Public Environmental Philosophy" on class webpage

28.    Nov 29: Parsons, Ch 9: Art in Nature (128-140)

         a.      In Class Video: Andy Goldsworthy, Rivers and Tides


Exam on Aesthetics and Nature (during final exam period), Tuesday, Dec 11th, 12pm