ENS125 Environmental Ethics I

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2019
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Veronika Išová
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Thu 21. 2. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 28. 2. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 7. 3. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 14. 3. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 21. 3. 16:00–17:40 U23, Thu 28. 3. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 4. 4. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 11. 4. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 18. 4. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 25. 4. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 2. 5. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 9. 5. 16:00–17:40 U32, Thu 16. 5. 16:00–17:40 U32
Prerequisites
Ability to read materials in english.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The main aims of the course Environmental Ethics can be devided: A. It presents to students basic concept of world of ethics and also the fundamental difference of the world of facts and world of values. B. To to classify opinions in the plenteous history of environmental ethics on the basic of concepts by Clare Palmer and Erazim Kohák, whereas introduces its most significant streams – bio-centric environmental ethics, eco-centric, anthropocentric, deep ecology, social ecology, zoo-centric and theo-centric environmental ethics.. C. To solve some moral case studies.
Learning outcomes
Student will be able to: • - Identify the difference between the "world of facts" and the "world of values", identify what cognitive tools we have at our disposal to understand the world of facts and the world of values, to determine the values ​​of scientific and philosophical theories; • - Identify and describe three possible approaches to moral issues (conceptual, normative and empirical); • - to understand and explain the difference between the different concepts of ethical theories (dogmatic ethics, rationalist ethics, emotivism, dynamic ethics, utilitarianism, deontological ethics, existentialism, relativism, biological determinism); • - to analyze any direction of environmental thinking and to determine from which the basic concepts are based (biocentrism, ecocentrism, zoocentrism, deep ecology, social ecology); • - able to write an essay, including an author's argued attitude towards a selected environmental ethics theme, including a resource search on the subject;
Syllabus
  • 1. Facts and values. Fundamental difference between the world of facts and world of values. Putman objections to this difference. 2. Where may we find the Good I. - biological instinct, dogma. 3. Where may we find the Good II. - racionality, emotivism. 4. Where may we find the Good III. - soft racionalism, dynamic ethics, utilitarism, relativism. 5. Environmental ethics - basic information and facts. 6. Typology of Environmental ethics I. - teocentric environmental ethics. 7. Typology of Environmental ethics II. - biocentric environmental ethics. 8. Typology of Environmental ethics III. - systematic approach to environmental ethics. 9. Typologie environmentální etiky IV. - deep ecology of Arne Naess. 10. Typologie environmentální etiky V. - deep ecology of John Seed and George Sessions. 11. Intermezzo - case study of 10 bad deeds. 12. Two case studies from Environmental ethics. 13. Peter Singer and his Practical ethics.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • The global guide to animal protection. Edited by Desmond Tutu - Andrew Linzey. Urbana: University of Illinois press, 2013, 323 s. ISBN 9780252079191. info
  • Environmental ethics : an anthology. Edited by Andrew Light - Holmes Rolston. 1st pub. Malden: Blackwell Publishers, 2003, x, 554 s. ISBN 0-631-22294-4. info
  • SPAEMANN, Robert. Základní mravní pojmy a postoje. Translated by Karel Hlavoň. 1. vyd. Praha: Svoboda, 1995, 91 s. ISBN 8020504842. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, lectures with powerpoint-presentations, group discussions, case studies and reading. Some lectures contain group projects and simulations.
Assessment methods
Multiple choice test and open questions test.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2019, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2019/ENS125