DATE
Monday 10/2, in class
- The midterm covers everything we've done so far
- Closed everything
- You'll be writing on paper
- You'll have the whole class period
- There will be 6-7 questions and you'll answer 4
- The two sample question below will be among the 6-7 questions you will choose from.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS (these will be among the questions on the quiz)
(1) (a) Explain Peter Wenz's principle of commensurate benefits and burdens. (b) How does he think the principle should be applied to solve real-world environmental problems? (c) Considering various applications (which you should discuss), is the principle plausible?
(2) Our authors diverge on the question whether wild living things, or domesticated, or neither, have an especially strong claim to consideration. (a) What is Peter Singer's view on this? (b) What is Clare Palmer's view on this? (c) What is Paul Taylor's view on this? (Make sure you explain how they support their views.)
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ADVICE
- Use all the materials available:
- your own notes
- blog posts (but don't memorize or repeat word-for-word)
- the readings
- RRs and comments you received on them
- Answer questions as fully as you can in the time available.
- Make sure you understand what an "argument" is.
- Answer completely. See sample grading. (link has been fixed)
MODULE 1
Aug 21 Introduction
Aug 23 Anthropocentrism: William Baxter, "People or Penguins," anthropocentrism, what is an argument?, RR feedback
Aug 25 Future People: William MacAskill, broken glass argument, how much future people count, how much we should care, the totality of future people
Aug 28 Extending moral standing to animals: Peter Singer, equal consideration, speciesism, utilitarianism
Aug 30 Wild vs. domesticated animals: Clare Palmer, natural disaster scenarios, contextual animalism
Sept 1 The value of species: Lily Marlene Russow, a species as a superentity, her test cases, her theory about why tigers matter
Sept 6 Extending moral standing to plants, Paul Taylor, the basis of respect, wild vs. cultivated plants, prima facie obligations, human non-superiority
Sept 8 The problem of conflicting claims, Paul Taylor, the problem of competing claims, 5 priority principles, the situations in which the principles apply, how "livable" is respecting nature?
Sept 11 Environmental holism, Aldo Leopold, individualistic vs. holistic ethics, the land ethic, the ethical principle he proposes, applications
Sept 13 "Are trees worth fighting for?" debate and coloring, figthing for the Laihana banyan tree, tree-sitters fighting to save redwoods from loggers, your value map
MODULE 2
Sept 15 Environmental racism, Robert Bullard on disparities, Bullard's talk, blackouts in Texas, water quality, living near green space
Sept 18 Environmental racism Luke Cole and Sheila Foster account of environmental racism, three counterarguments involving choices and intentions, how Cole and Foster respond to the counterarguments, segregation
Sept 20 Not in my backyard Luke Cole and Sheila Foster continued, four scenarios as analyzed by C&F and opponent; Peter Wenz, not focusing on racism, not defending current practices, the principle of commensurate benefits and burdens, cases
Sept 22 Exporting garbage Peter Wenz, PCBB's assessment of cases, do you agree?, PCBB implemented by LULU point system, PCBB and plastic exports, PCBB and Justice 40 Initiative
Sept 25 Back to nature, Kevin DeLuca, the environmental justice movement (EJM) is taking over the environmental movement (EM), why he thinks that's bad
Sept 27 Back to nature, Dale Jamieson, justice as the heart of environmentalism
Sept 29 Access to nature debate