Overview • Define Environmental Ethics & Sustainability • What is Ethics? • Relation between religion and environment • Scripture references & environment • Current events • How you can make a difference 1
• Environmental Ethics: • Anthropocentrism vs. Nonanthropocentrism • Animal vs. Environmental Ethics • Nonathropocentrism • A Pragmatist Alternative 2
What is Environmental Ethics? • Environmental ethics- the discipline that studies the moral relationship of human beings and also the value and moral status of the environment and its nonhuman contents • It considers the ethical relationship between humans and the environment 3
Why are Environmental Ethics Important? • Humans are slowly depleting all of our natural resources that other generations need for their future • Our world was created for us to live and thrive on and we are slowly killing it • Sustainability for the environment is crucial so that we do not destruct the world that God created 4
What is Ethics? • The scope of ethics is much broader than the realm of law. Ethics extends to all our duties and obligations, virtues and vices, as we interact with each other – whether or not we should lie or steal, whether we should be charitable toward those less fortunate than ourselves, whether we should be forgiving, and how to resolve conflicts of interest when we have conflicting obligations to different persons. • The general study of goodness. • The general study of right action. • Metaethics • Applied ethics 5
The general study of goodness. • Minimally, two questions: • (1) What are the components of a good life? • (2) What sort of things are good in themselves? • Raises the issue of intrinsic value vs. instrumental value: • Intrinsic value: The worth objects have in their own right, independent of their value to any other end. • Instrumental value: The worth objects have in fulfilling other ends. 6
Ethical Theories Subjective relativism Subjective relativism 1. 1. Cultural relativism Cultural relativism 2. 2. Divine command theory Divine command theory 3. 3. Kantianism Kantianism 4. 4. Act utilitarianism Act utilitarianism 5. 5. Rule utilitarianism Rule utilitarianism 6. 6. Social contract theory Social contract theory 7. 7. 7
Relativism versus Objectivism: Relativism versus Objectivism: Where “The Good” “The Good” Exists Exists Where 1. Subjective relativism 1. Subjective relativism Relativism 2. Cultural relativism 2. Cultural relativism “The good The good” is inside the mind ” is inside the mind “ 8
Relativism versus Objectivism: Relativism versus Objectivism: Where “The Good” “The Good” Exists Exists Where 3. Divine command theory 3. Divine command theory 4. Kantianism 4. Kantianism Objectivism 5. Act utilitarianism 5. Act utilitarianism 6. Rule utilitarianism 6. Rule utilitarianism 7. Social contract theory 7. Social contract theory “The Good The Good” is outside ” is outside “ 9
The Workable Ethical Theories: Rational Theories 1. Subjective relativism 2. Cultural relativism 3. Divine command theory 4. Kantianism 5. Act utilitarianism 6. Rule utilitarianism 7. Social contract theory 10
Subjective relativism • Relativism – No universal norms of right and wrong – One person can say “X is right,” another can say “X is wrong,” and both can be right • Subjective relativism – Each person decides right and wrong for himself or herself – “What’s right for you may not be right for me” 11
Cultural relativism • What is “right” and “wrong” depends upon a society’s actual moral guidelines • These guidelines vary from place to place and from time to time • A particular action may be right in one society at one time and wrong in other society or at another time 12
Cultural relativism Case for Case for • Different social contexts demand different moral Different social contexts demand different moral guidelines guidelines • It is arrogant for one society to judge another It is arrogant for one society to judge another • Morality is reflected in actual behavior Morality is reflected in actual behavior 13
Cultural relativism Case against Case against Because two societies Because two societies do do have different moral views doesn’t mean they have different moral views doesn’t mean they have different views ought to have different views ought to Doesn’t explain how moral guidelines are determined Doesn’t explain how moral guidelines are determined Doesn’t explain how guidelines evolve Doesn’t explain how guidelines evolve Provides no way out for cultures in conflict Provides no way out for cultures in conflict Because many practices are acceptable does not mean any cultural Because many practices are acceptable does not mean any cultural practice is acceptable (many/any fallacy) practice is acceptable (many/any fallacy) Societies do, in fact, share certain core values Societies do, in fact, share certain core values Only indirectly based on reason Only indirectly based on reason Not a workable ethical theory Not a workable ethical theory 14
3. Divine command theory (the virtue approach) • Good actions: those aligned with God’s will • Bad actions: those contrary to God’s will • Holy books reveal God’s will. • We should use holy books as moral decision- making guides. 15
Divine Command Theory Case for Case for We owe obedience to our Creator. We owe obedience to our Creator. God is all-good and all-knowing. God is all-good and all-knowing. God is the ultimate authority. God is the ultimate authority. Case against Case against Different holy books disagree Different holy books disagree Society is multicultural, secular Society is multicultural, secular Some moral problems not addressed in scripture Some moral problems not addressed in scripture “ “The good” The good” ≠ “God” (equivalence fallacy) ≠ “God” (equivalence fallacy) Based on obedience, not reason Based on obedience, not reason 16
4. Kantianism (the rights approach) • Good will: the desire to do the right thing • Immanuel Kant: Only thing in the world good without qualification is good will. • Reason should cultivate desire to do right thing. 17
Kantianism Case for Case for Rational Rational Produces universal moral guidelines Produces universal moral guidelines Treats all persons as moral equals Treats all persons as moral equals Workable ethical theory Workable ethical theory Case against Case against Sometimes no rule adequately characterizes an action. Sometimes no rule adequately characterizes an action. There is no way to resolve a conflict between rules. There is no way to resolve a conflict between rules. Kantianism allows no exceptions to moral laws. Kantianism allows no exceptions to moral laws. 18
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