Environmental Ethics

The overriding question in environmental ethics is whether or not we have any moral obligations to the environment, and if so, to what extent. In this introduction to environmental ethics we ask whether nature has a value in itself or is it only valuable in terms of human needs and pleasures? Further, how can we decide what kinds of behaviours toward nature are right or wrong? We will examine various moral theories that relate to nature and assess how they can be applied to specific environmental issues. Other topics will include animal rights, non-Western views on nature, the ethics of food, obligations to future generations, and environmental justice.