Course Details Language of Instruction English Level of Course Unit Master's Degree Department / Program MA Program in Philosophy (Thesis) (English) Type of Program Formal Education Type of Course Unit Elective Course Delivery Method Face To Face Objectives of the Course • To understand the historical emergence and development of environmental ethics as a philosophical field, and the way in which these ethics are linked to and influenced by given cultural developments in various contexts. • To understand the range of perspectives on human responsibility for the environment and enable critical reflection and writing on this topic. • To examine the epistemological bases (philosophical, scientific, religious, aesthetic) of different ethical orientations as well as the various methodological approaches to individual and collective decision-making related to the environment. • To become familiar with different concepts and theories of environmental ethics in order to be able to reflect on and participate in complex ethical discussions about nature, the environment and ecosystems. Course Content Environmental ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies our moral responsibilities toward the environment, integrating philosophical theories with practical applications. This course tackles complex philosophical questions that challenge traditional anthropocentric views by examining our ethical obligations to the natural world. What position do or should humans occupy ? How does this shape our responsibilities toward nature and ecological systems? When and how can human intervention in natural processes be ethically justified? Does nature have ‘rights’? After underlining the importance of these reflection in the context of the Anthropocene, the course will present the history of this field of study and explore its fundamental concepts. It will examine various perspectives on the relationship between humans and nature, criticizing anthropocentric views while presenting alternative approaches that go beyond the nature/culture divide, such as biocentrism and deep ecology. Throughout, the course will explore the application of various ethical theories, including consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics, while introducing key modern issues such as environmental justice and environmental racism. Particular attention will be paid to how different cultures interpret and understand nature, considering the views of Indigenous peoples, African philosophies of nature and the perspectives of South Asian religions, as well as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In addition, the course will address contemporary issues in applied ethics, culminating in discussions about sustainability and wilderness restoration. Course Methods and Techniques Reading and discussing following texts: Latour, B. Facing Gaïa. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2017 (pp. 7-20; 41-47). Rolston, H. III “The Anthropocene! Beyond the Natural.” In The Oxford Handbook of Environmental Ethics, ed. by S. M. Gardiner and A. Thompson, 62-73. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. Callicott, J. B. “The Challenge of a World Environmental Ethic”. American Journal of Theology & Philosophy 18, no. 1 (1997): 65–79. Krebs, A. Ethics of Nature: A Map. Berlin: W. de Gruyter, 1999 (pp. 5-17). Kawall J. “A History of Environmental Ethics.” In The Oxford Handbook of Environmental Ethics, 13-26. Rolston, H. III “Environmental Ethics.” In The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy, 2d ed., ed. by N. Bunnin, and Tsui-James E. P. Malden, 517-530, MA: Blackwell Publishing: 2003. Thompson, A. “Anthropocentrism.” In The Oxford Handbook of Environmental Ethics, 77-90. Zhao, Y. “An Analysis of Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethics,” IJHSSE, Vol. 3, no 12, Dec. 2016: 21-25. Descola, P. Beyond Nature and Culture. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2013 (pp. 1-31). Agar, N. “Biocentrism and the Concept of Life,” Ethics, Vol. 108, no 1, Oct. 1997: 147-168. Naess, A. “The Basics of Deep Ecology.” The Trumpeter, Vol. 21, no 1, 2005: 61-71. Prerequisites and co-requisities None Course Coordinator None Name of Lecturers Asist Prof.Dr. FLORENCE MARIE ANNE OLLIVRY Assistants None Work Placement(s) No Recommended or Required Reading Resources Weekly reading on Canvas 0 100 Course Category Social Sciences %100

 





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