ENS299 Fundamentals of Environmental Philosophy (Seminar)

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2018
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Ľuboš Slovák (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
Tue 18:00–19:40 exP24
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of history of Western philosophy at the level of knowledge gained in ENS115 - Introduction to Philosophy or similar basic course.
Ability to read philosophy/academic texts in English. Due to the distribution of the old ENS115 - Introduction to Environmentalist Philosophy + Seminar on two separate subjects: ENS115 - Introduction to Philosophy and ENS299 - Fundamentals of Environmental Philosophy (Seminar), the following instructions are to be observed during the enrollment (sorry for complications) Those who have passed the ENS115 course in 2017/2018 or earlier do not enroll in ENS299 - have passed it (and received credits) as part of ENS115. - For students who have not yet enrolled ENS115, they have joined the AC at the latest. 2018/2019, the subject ENS299 is not mandatory. However, we recommend that you enroll it because it will extend your knowledge of environmental philosophical texts.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course has three main objectives: - To give students an insight into some of the main themes of environmental philosophy (value of individuals, ecosystems and non-human nature in general, scientific view of the world v. direct experience, the connection between oppression of nature and diverse forms of oppression in the society, definition of nature, etc.) by reading and discussing texts, and to demonstrate how theoretical reflection relates to "practical" environmental issues. - To acquaint the students with selected pivotal thinkers who laid the foundations or were crucial for shaping of environmental thought. - To cultivate critical thinking, (self)reflection, ability to discuss and argue one's views through writing reflective accounts of the read texts and through class discussions
Learning outcomes
After finishing this course, the student will be able to:
- sum-up the key ideas of the texts read in the course and put them into the particular context of their authors' work and general context of the environmental thought;
- critically reflect on simpler environmental philosophy works (comparable to the ones read in the course in complexity);
- formulate and argue for her attitudes and views on the topics of environmental philosophy discussed in the course;
- apply selected approaches to theoretical reflection of environmental themes to today's problems and real-life situations.
Syllabus
  • Main topics and authors:
  • - Wilderness and direct experience with nature (Henry David Thoreau)
  • - Biocentrism and Ethics of the Reverence for Life (Albert Schweitzer);
  • - Ecocentrism and Land Ethics (Aldo Leopold);
  • - Deep ecology (Arne Naess, John Seed, Pat Flemming, Joanna Macy);
  • - Christianity and the ecological crisis (Lynn White, jr.);
  • - Ecofeminism (Ynestra King, Carolyn Merchant);
  • - Deconstruction of nature and wilderness (Steven Vogel, William Cronon);
  • - Animism today (David Abram).
  • Other topics (will be selected according to capacity and interest):
  • - Animal rights (Peter Singer);
  • - The Gaia hypothesis (James Lovelock);
  • - Anthropocene and neo-environmentalism/ecomodernism;
  • - Social Ecology (Murray Bookchin).
Literature
    recommended literature
  • KOLÁŘSKÝ, Rudolf, Igor MÍCHAL and Erazim KOHÁK. Závod s časem : texty z morální ekologie. Edited by Dagmar Nárožníková. Vyd. 1. Praha: Torst, 1996, 228 s. ISBN 808563970X. info
  • KOHÁK, Erazim. Zelená svatozář : kapitoly z ekologické etiky. 2., přeprac. vyd. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2000, 204 s. ISBN 8085850869. info
  • THOREAU, Henry David. Chůze. Translated by Jaroslava Novotná Kočová. Praha: Dokořán, 2010, 102 s. ISBN 9788073633172. info
  • THOREAU, Henry David. Toulky přírodou. Translated by Jan Hokeš. Vyd. v tomto souboru a přek. Praha: Paseka, 2010, 213 s. ISBN 9788074320385. info
  • LEOPOLD, Aldo. Obrázky z chatrče a rozmanité poznámky. Edited by Robert Finch, Illustrated by Charles W. Schwartz. Vyd. 1. Tulčík: Abies, 1999, 269 s. ISBN 8088699134. info
  • SEED, John, Joanna MACY, Pat FLEMING and Arne NÆSS. Myslet jako hora : shromáždění všech bytostí. Translated by Jiří Holuša, Illustrated by Dailan Pugh. Vydanie prvé. Prešov: Nadácia Zelená nádej, 1993, 144 stran. ISBN 8088699010. info
  • ABRAM, David. Procitnutí do živé země. Edited by Jiří Zemánek, Translated by Michaela Melechovská. 1. vyd. Nymburk: OPS, 2008, 166 s. ISBN 9788090377394. info
Teaching methods
Reading, writing of reflections of the reading, class discussion.
Assessment methods
Students will have to read given texts and actively discuss the topics on the seminar. They will be evaluated either through writing a short reflection on the reading or their active engagement in the discussions. Formal demands will not be too strict due to low credit value of the course. However, the form of the course will be adapted so that the students are motivated to read the texts and discuss them in the class.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
General note: Vzhledem k rozdělení předmětu ENS115 Úvod do filosofie pro environmentalisty + seminář na 2 předměty: ENS115 - Úvod do filosofie a ENS299 - Základy environmentální filosofie (seminář), je při zápisu potřeba dbát pokynů (viz odstavec: Předpoklady slovně).
Information on course enrolment limitations: Kurz se otevírá při 5 a více přihlášených studentech.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2018, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2018/ENS299