Environmental Ethics

My environmental ethics course runs as an upper level, seminar-style course. Additionally, to incorporate current events, history, and technological developments, students take on an active role in educating their peers, giving presentations throughout the semester on emerging environmental technologies (e.g., geothermal energy, tidal energy, etc.), the history of the environmental movement (e.g., extinction rebellion, animal liberation, etc.), notable environmental figures (e.g., Jacques Cousteau, Rachel Carson, etc.), and environmental issues (light pollution, noise pollution, etc.).

The course begins with a brief primer on the basics of ethical theory and argumentation, situating environmental ethics in the context of the history of philosophy and highlighting the unique challenges it poses to the boundaries of the moral community. From there, we explore the history of environmentalism in the United States and beyond, discussing ethics, environmental justice/racism (both domestic and international), wilderness, politics, aesthetics, and the animal movement. Classically, I also have an entire section dedicated to Aldo Leopold’s phenomenal A Sand County Almanac. In future iterations of the course, in line with my own research, I plan on including sections on de-extinction and the unique challenges of outer space contexts to the traditional biotic paradigm in environmental ethics.