Undergraduate Course: Environmental Ethics (PHIL10147)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines some of the central ethical questions arising out of the distinctive relation human beings have to the natural environment. |
| Course description |
The course covers the main theoretical approaches to environmental ethics and explores practical intersections with other fields such as biomedical ethics, animal ethics, ethics of technology, etc. Some theoretical questions discussed in the course may be: How should we conceive of the value of nature? How do various moral theories make sense of our interaction with the environment? Are our moral concepts apt to tackle climate change? Practical questions may include: How does our relation to the environment impact our health? Is Artificial Intelligence a problem or a solution to environmental degradation? How does our relation to animals impact the environment?
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017) AND
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | It is recommended that students have taken Morality and Value (can be waived at the course organiser's discretion). Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisite. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their PT and the course organizer before enrolling. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. **Please note that honours Philosophy courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.** These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Theory Analysis 25% 1000 words
Case Study 25% 1000 words
Final Essay 50% 2000 words
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| Feedback |
Guidance will be given before each assignment. This may be in the form of an in-class discussion, a handout, or discussion of a component of the
assessed work. Instructor feedback on essay outline and peer feedback provides further formative opportunities ahead of final essay. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Outline complex theories regarding the value of nature and the significance of human-environment interaction.
- Critically assess a range of positions and arguments, drawing reasoned conclusions about their defensibility.
- Articulate complex disputes in environmental ethics and their intersections with other subfields of ethics (biomedical ethics, animal ethics, ethics of technology, etc.)
- Construct and defend written arguments related to the ethics of human interaction with nature and the environment.
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Reading List
Representative Readings:
- Callicott, J.B., 1989. In Defense of the Land Ethic. Essays in Environmental Philosophy
- Carson, R. 1962. Silent Spring
- Gardiner, S. 2011. A Perfect Moral Storm. The Ethical Tragedy of Climate Change
- Jamieson, D., 1998. Animal Liberation is an Environmental Ethic
- Leopold, A., 1949. A Sand County Almanac
- Næss, A., 1973. The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement
- Sandler, R., 2007. Character and Environment: A Virtue-Oriented Approach to Environmental Ethics
- Thoreau, H. D., 1854. Walden; or, Life in the Woods
- Williams, B., 1992. Must a Concern for the Environment be Centred on Human Beings? |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Graduate attributes:
Mindsets: Outlook and engagement; Aspiration and personal development Skill groups: Research and enquiry; Personal and intellectual autonomy |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | |
Course secretary | Ms Joan MacKenzie
Tel:
Email: jmacken8@ed.ac.uk |
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