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Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions

Ethical responses to the Environment

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Utilitarianism

Kant

Natural Law

Situation Ethics

Virtue Ethics

 

Utilitarianism

The original theory was based on pleasure and pain, so Peter Singer extended its bounds to non-human animals who were sentient (capable of experience) and could therefore feel pleasure and pain.   “We should give the same respect to the lives of animals as we do to the lives of humans.”  It is unclear whether the theory can be extended to include non-animal entities.  It would need either a redefinition of pleasure and pain, or a change to the central principle of utilitarianism.  Singer sees a problem in trying to imagine the interests of a plant – if we put ourselves in the place of a plant, we wouldn’t mind what happened to us as plants cannot experience positive or negative effects.

Once we have decided which aspects of nature to include in our calculation, and whether to weigh up pleasure/pain or preferences or interests, we can do a calculation. This could give us general rules to live(rule utilitarianism) by e.g.:

  • Development must be sustainable
  • Farming should be organic etc.

Alternatively, utilitarianism allows for a flexible approach, carefully weighing up the consequences in each situation. For some people in the developing world, development will save many lives. The same development in Europe or America would merely be a convenience.

Kant's Ethical Theory

For Kant, the environment has no intrinsic value.  Even non-human animals lack inherent worth.  Kant sees human beings as inherently valuable because of their rationality.  However, Kant’s ethics are largely based on the idea of doing good for its own sake and rejecting self-interest.  The categorical imperative would not allow us to damage the environment, as it would mean that all people were morally required to act in this way.  Kant would support conservation and preservation.    Kant’s theories could be stretched to include not treating animals or the environment solely as a means to an end, but Kant himself would have resisted this.

 

Natural Law

Natural Law thinking can be applied a number of ways here.  The central principle is to do good and resist evil, so it would encourage conservation and reject the abuse of the environment.  However, humans as conscious beings have a higher purpose than the environment, and observing human nature could lead us to agree with humans taking control over the environment.  Some Natural Law thinkers would focus on the purpose or telos of the natural world, giving the environment intrinsic worth.

Situation Ethics

Situation Ethics is built on the principle of agape – self-less love to all mankind.  Although this principle could be extended to include the love of animals and of nature, in reality we are faced with choices that might involve helping people or helping nature.  Situation Ethics would support cutting down a forest to build a hospital as it teaches compassion for people who are suffering.

Virtue Ethics

Aristotle believed in a heirarchy in nature, with humans at the top. This suggests he would support a conservationist apporach to environmental ethics - looking after the environment because it benefits humans. Put another way, environmental damage, pollution, global warming etc. has no place in a eudaimonian state.

The theory itself focuses on the virtues. Moral virtues are developed by habit. In the same way, we may develop good habits in the way we treat the environment e.g.:

  • recycling
  • walking/cycling when possible
  • car-sharing
  • conserving energy

Aristotle also held that the right degree of courage, kindness, temperance etc. was the 'golden mean'. It is important to be kind, but you can be too kind. The answer for the environment may be to take the middle path - not using too much energy, not over-indulging, not consuming an excess of food. This allows us to live happily and be fulfilled without doing too much damage to the environment.

 

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