PHIL208 ENVIROMENTAL ETHICS
| Course Code: | 2410208 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 5.0 |
| Department: | Philosophy |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Prof.Dr. AYHAN SOL |
| Offered Semester: | Fall or Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, students will have learned,
some challenges to human morality (amoralism, theism, relativism) and how to deal with them,
the basic concepts of metaethic (realism, subjectivism, intrinsic value),
the fundamental theories of normative ethics (consequentialism, virtue ethics, deontological/Kantian ethics),
the basic concepts of and problems in environmental ethics (speciesism, rights of animals, anthropocentrism, biocentrism, ecocentrism)
Course Content
Environmental ethics is a crucial as well as a controversial area of applied ethics that approaches normative issues and principles related with human intervention with the natural environment. It is crucial for the guidance of individuals, corporations, and governments in determining the principles affecting their policies, lifestyles, and actions across the entire range of environmental issues. It is controversial for the complexity of environment, conflict of interest in environment, and human centered ethical traditions, concepts and theories neglecting non-human environment. So while uncertainty and conflict of interest increase the demands on ethical principles, the basic assumptions of traditional ethics are difficult to extend to the non-human environment. Environmental ethics must also be a theoretical field of ethics to deal, for example, with the following problems. People have rights, but do other (higher) animals? Do plants even have interests? Can only individuals deserve to be subject for moral considerations or can group of individuals, such as species and ecosystem also? These and similar questions are treated by both anthropocentrists and ecocentrists.
Course Learning Outcomes
Students, who passed the course satisfactorily will be able to:
understand the challenges, theories, and concepts about ethics and environmental ethics and will be able to use this knowledge to understand source of current environmental problems and to develop (hopefully) a new consciousness together with a renewed conscience about environmental ethical problems.
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | Have the knowledge and skills of research method which is a requirement in order to be successful in academic studies. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | Have the capacity for applying philosophical knowledge to scientific and social issues. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | Examine and analyze a subject matter and make philosophical interpretations on it. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | Have the skills of critical thinking, analytical approach, problem solving, multi-dimensional view, making inferences and interpretations regarding to philosophical texts and scientific facts. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | Identify the basic concepts and issues in philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | Evaluate and understand the underlying philosophical assumptions of fundamental and social sciences. | ✔ | |||
| 7 | Have capacity to make interdisciplinary readings and analysis. | ✔ | |||
| 8 | Have verbal and written presentation and effective communication skills, be open to team work and do interdisciplinary study. | ✔ | |||
| 9 | Make connections between contemporary ethical, social, cultural, esthetic and politic issues. | ✔ | |||
| 10 | Interpret the historical development of scientific and philosophical questions. | ✔ | |||
| 11 | Have knowledge about contemporary philosophical issues and their relations to other disciplines. | ✔ | |||
| 12 | Use modern information tools in order to make research in philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 13 | Improve their professional and personal skills lifelong. | ✔ | |||
| 14 | Use information technologies effectively in domain applications in philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 15 | Have self-confidence and develop original ideas regarding to philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 16 | Have social and ethical responsibility regarding to contemporary issues. | ✔ | |||
| 17 | Have good knowledge of English, research method and computer skills and use these skills effectively. | ✔ | |||
| 18 | Comprehend the basic theories and issues in sub-disciplines of philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 19 | Have an advanced knowledge in certain specific fields such as environment, technology, culture, art etc. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution