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Environmental Worldviews, Ethics and Sustainability

Environmental worldviews influence how people view their relationship with the world and determine what is considered ethical. There are human-centered views that prioritize humanity's role and earth-centered views that consider humanity as one part of the ecosystem. Philosophers have developed theories of ethics like utilitarianism and relativism to determine what is right and wrong. Life forms can have instrumental value if useful to humanity or intrinsic value because of their inherent right to exist. Moving toward sustainability requires an environmentally literate population that understands humanity's interactions with the planet and develops solutions to current challenges.

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222 views10 pages

Environmental Worldviews, Ethics and Sustainability

Environmental worldviews influence how people view their relationship with the world and determine what is considered ethical. There are human-centered views that prioritize humanity's role and earth-centered views that consider humanity as one part of the ecosystem. Philosophers have developed theories of ethics like utilitarianism and relativism to determine what is right and wrong. Life forms can have instrumental value if useful to humanity or intrinsic value because of their inherent right to exist. Moving toward sustainability requires an environmentally literate population that understands humanity's interactions with the planet and develops solutions to current challenges.

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esilvards
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS,

ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Living in the Environment


14th Edition
Chapter 28

Shohail Choudhury 1
Environmental worldviews are how people think
the world works,
where they fit,
and ethics.

Environmental worldviews can be


• human-centered or
• Earth-centered,
• or some combination of both.

2
Philosophers for right and wrong environmental behavior.
Universalism, (Plato and Kant) ethics and rules of right
and wrong that are unchanging.
Utilitarianism, (Bentham and Mill), :an action is right if it
produces satisfaction for the greatest number of people.
Consequentialism : consequences determine whether an
action is right or wrong.
Relativism, promoted by Sophists, says that cultures, eras,
and situations determine whether an action is right or
wrong.
Rationalism, (Decartes, De Spinoza, and Leibniz): right
and wrong are determined by analyzing the situation.
Nihilism, (Nietzsche): life is meaningless except to strive to
live in what might be right.
3
Life forms have instrumental value or intrinsic value.
Instrumental, or utilitarian, values life forms because
they are useful to the biosphere or us.
Intrinsic, or inherent, values life forms because they
exist.
Anthropocentric instrumental values view life forms
as valuable only if they are useful.
Biocentric intrinsic values view life forms as valuable
because they exist.

4
Human-centered views
Human to be the most important species and stewards of
the earth.
Planetary management worldview :humans are the
dominant species.
• Humans should manage the earth.
• All other life forms have some sort of
instrumental value.
• Problems can be solved with more
economic growth and development, and better
management and technology.
•The planet should have a free-market
global economy.
Stewardship worldview: humans have an ethical
responsibility to care for the earth.
• Humans should make the world better.
• Humans should pay back our debt to the
earth by leaving it better than before. 5
Life-Centered and Earth-Centered Worldviews
A. Doubts that we can effectively manage Earth because of our lack of
knowledge.

B. Humans have an ethical responsibility to avoid causing the


premature extinction of species.

C. Environmental wisdom worldview: humans are not in charge and


should study the history of the earth to determine how it has
maintained itself.

D. Deep ecology worldview: obligations of humans to all life forms


and not reduce the interdependence and diversity of life.

E. Ecofeminist environmental worldview: women should be equal to


men in the human quest to develop more sustainable societies.

F. Environmental degradation can be slowed by using images of


catastrophe and economic and ecologic collapse. 6
Living More Sustainably

Environmentally literate citizens are needed to


build a more environmentally sustainable society.
This requires an understanding of
• how the earth works,
• our interactions with the earth,
• and the methods we use to deal with
environmental problems.

Nature must be experienced directly to


complete environmental education.

7
Living More Sustainably

Affluenza is the addiction to over-consumption and


materialism in developed countries.
Symptoms: high debt level, declining health,
increased stress, more bankruptcies.
Causes: credit cards enable instant gratification,
easy money, and selfishness.
Solutions: consume less, live more simply, and
spend less.

8
Conclusion

Effective environmental citizens avoid mental


traps that lead to denial and inaction and
instead enjoy life and keep empowered
feelings.

The environmental revolution is a positive


outlook and a call for leadership, ideas, and
solutions to current environmental
challenges.

9
Next Class

Quiz 2:
Chapter 4 and 28

Chapter 26:
Economics, Environment and Sustainability

10

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