Preview
- Monday Feb 3: ecosystems (reporters)
- Wednesday Feb 5: whole species (reporters)
- Friday: Feb 7 short essay quiz on what we've done so far
- Also Friday: article on kinship with nature
Reporting
- Added some options for the population reporters
- Made some suggestions for the water justice reporters
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Moral status
- People
- Animals
- Plants
- Ecosystems
- Species
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Paul Taylor, "The Ethics of Respect for Nature" (1981)
Environmental decisions involving plants (and people and animals) (book, p. 256)
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Respect for nature
An individual plant/animal has "a good of its own." Read p. 199 A&BThis doesn't require sentience or interests. Read p. 199-200 CHe's talking about wild plants/animals, and not taking a stand on others. Read p. 200 D
A thing with a good of its own has inherent worth, and therefore we owe it respect. Read p. 201 E
Points later in reading: we and plants and animals are fellow members of one biotic community
Respecting a giant sequoia
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Wild vs. cultivated plants
Apple trees--wild (top) vs. cultivated (bottom)
Obligations to WILD plants and animals
We have prima facie obligations to wild plants and animals. Read p. 198 F
What does he mean by a "prima facie moral obligation"? At first glance. Not absolute. Could be overridden by other obligations.
- Prima facie obligation to tree
- Prima facie obligation to a human being
Bad ways to resolve conflicts
- Humans are superior, so we win (Taylor: humans not superior)
- Only humans have rights, so we win (Taylor: yes only humans have rights, which give us inviolability; but no that doesn't mean we always win)
Priority principles for resolving conflicts (Taylor, "Competing Claims" p. 263).
A. The principle of self-defense
B. The principle of proportionality
C. The principle of minimum wrong
D. The principle of distributive justice
E. The principle of restitutive justice
Priority principle A: self-defense
Persons: pursuing life or other crucial goods
Plants/animals: pursuing life or other crucial goods by threatening humans
Principle: You can defend yourself in the least harmful way available
Applications
Which of these are allowed under the Self-defense Principle?
- Shooting an attacking bear
- Killing a bear that's on your property
- Cutting down a wild tree that threatens to fall on someone
- Using weed killer on wild poison ivy
- Killing wild fish if I'm starving in the woods
Priority principle D: distributive justicePersons: pursuing life or other crucial goods
Plants/animals: pursuing life or other crucial goods but not threatening humans
Principle: I should distribute seriously good things and bad things fairly.
Applications
- Must kill fish to stay alive--may I? Taylor says: It's not unfair to choose my own life.
- Suppose I could kill a plant instead of a fish, would that be better?
Priority principle B: proportionality
Persons: pursuing something trivial
Plants/animals: pursuing life or other crucial goods and not threatening humans
Principle: I should give up trivial goods that are seriously costly for plants and animals.
- Cutting down wild redwoods to create beautiful furniture
- Picking wildflowers for a bouquet
- Killing wild animals for fun or trophies
Priority principle C: minimum wrong
Persons: pursuing something important, but not absolutely essentialPlants/animals: pursuing life or other crucial goods and not threatening humans
Principle: I can pursue such goals if I minimize the wrongs done to plants and animals as much as possible
- Cutting down a forest to build an art museum? Ok if we build tall, to save trees
- Cutting down trees to build apartments, an airport, etc.
Priority principle E: restitution
Persons: have harmed plants/animals despite following the other principlesPlants/animals: some are dead or have been harmed
Principle: I should make up for the harm by doing something good for plants/animals
Applications
- After killing animal for food, perform acts of kindness.
- After destroying forest for art museum, plant more trees.