Environmental Ethics Flashcards
(26 cards)
Culture
The knowledge, beliefs, values, and education shared by a group of individuals
Personal Experiences
What has happened to you
Worldview
A person or group’s beliefs about the surrounding world
Values
The ideas, things, or experiences you hold to be important
What shapes your worldview:
Religion - probably the largest factor globally
Landscape (area you live) - your environment impacts the way you have to live
Economics - the world revolves around money
Politics - your personal ideologies
Vest Interests - outcome will have personal gain/loss for decision maker
Ethics
Branch of philosophy that deals with what is right and wrong, good and evil
Relativists
Believe that ethics do and should vary with social context
Universalists
Believe that notions of right and wrong hold across cultures and situations
Ethical Standards
What helps shape what is right and wrong
There are three approaches that have shaped our ethics:
Virtue - the personal achievement of moral excellence in character through reasoning and moderation
Categorical Imperative - the golden rule
Utility - something is right when it benefits the most people
Environmental Ethics
The application of ethical standards to nonhuman entities
Anthropocentrism
A human-centered view of our relationship with the environment; no other entities have rights
Biocentrism
Certain living things have rights; actions must consider living and nonliving things
Ecocentrism
The whole ecological system has rights; values the well being of the entire system
Transcendentalism
Views nature as manifestation of the divine, your soul can be one with God through nature; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman were transcendental authors/poets
Preservation Ethic
Led by John Muir, a thought that we should protect the environment in an untouched, unaltered state
Conservation Ethic
Led by former forester Gifford Pinchot, supposes that we should manage our resources in a wise and responsible manner (more anthropocentric view of environmental philosophy)
Land Ethic
Aldo Leopold, a former forester and wildlife manager, stated that humans should have a responsible and balanced view of nature; we are in the same community and are therefore obligated to treat the land in an ethical manner (this is what governs the majority of our environmental ethics today)
Deep Ecology
1970s movement that says we are inseparable from nature and thus should protect our environment as we would protect ourselves
Ecofeminism
1970s movement that states the world’s view towards male dominated society is the reason for social and environmental problems
Environmental Justice
The fair and equitable treatment of all people with regard to environmental decisions, policies, and treatment (ex: urban work/living areas, Native American mining)
Ecoterrorism
An act of terrorism against individuals or companies by individuals or organizations to protest the use or abuse of resources in the environment
British communities led by _ _ started to become aware of English cities’ aesthetic deterioration (Scottish Rights of Way Society)
John Ruskin
The _ _ caused a lot of philosophers of the time to reevaluate the ethical concern of nature
Industrial revolution
