Environmental Ethics
Dr. Cleaveland
Environmental Ethics
• Potential question format: compare two or more
philosophical or ethical views, e.g. dominion vs
stewardship views or dominion views vs Aldo Leopold’s
Land Ethic, or dominion view vs reconciliation ecology
view in a given situation such as: imagine you have this
beautiful Bermuda grass lawn. You have spent lots of
labor and money (fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides on it).
Lately, moles have dug burrows on the lawn and are
ruining your yard’s appearance!
-What would you do if you believe in Aldo Leopold Land
Ethics (Moral Extensionism) or stewardship/eco-spiritualism
ethics, or eco-centric ethics or dominion ethics or
anthropocentric ethics or you are a deep ecologist?
Moles!
Moles!
Moles!
Environmental Ethics
What is environmental ethics?
• Ethics is the study of right and wrong: “what
people ought to do and why” (Robbins Ch. 5)
• “The branch of philosophy dealing with morality,
or, questions of right and wrong human action in
the world” (Robbins)
• It is the moral basis of human (our) behavior on
the environment in everyday activities
• How do/did we develop it?
• Social construction shapes our (human)
attitude about nature, etc.
What is Social Construction?
• Any condition, thing, belief that exists or is
understood to have certain characteristics
because people socially agree that it does.
• E.g. our perception about (wolves, owls,
dolphins, snakes, dogs, wilderness, our place
in nature; the idea that good lawns=good
people, is socially constructed.
What are the sources of our environmental ethics?
• Religion
• Family, community, society, school
• Law (littering), drinking and driving becomes a
social norm. Legal sanctions might initiate it.
Sources of Ethics cont.
• Does the law influence ethical behavior?
Sometime e.g. car emissions stds, ESA,
hunting, smoking, DUI
• Is unethical behavior always illegal? No.
Environmental Ethics
• Codes of ethics have provided guiding principles to
humanity throughout history.
• Sources of these ethics include religion and philosophies
in different cultures: e.g. Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism, etc.
Environmental Ethics
• Unlike in other traditional systems e.g. native
Americans (where organisms other than humans are
accorded high spiritual status), “Western”/European
civilization has only recently moved from humancentered to environmentally centered views of right
and wrong.
• E.g. mentality of early European settlers in N.
America. Decimation of wolves, bison, wilderness.
Environmental Ethics
• Western religion (Judeo-Christian faith):
portrays man as the apex of creation, created
in the image of God: “Be fruitful and multiply,
and replenish the earth, subdue it; have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28).
• At face-value, humans have the right to
exercise dominion over nature.
• This is Dominion Theory/ethics/philosophy
Environmental Ethics
• Dominion theory comes from the above
viewpoint, from the book of Genesis, stating
that humans are the pinnacle of creation, and
therefore are granted free reign to use nature
in any way considered beneficial to humans.
Ecospiritualism/Stewardship is a new Environmental
Ethic in “Western” Religious Faith, replacing dominion
viewpoint.
• Humans as custodians or stewards (stewardship
theory) of God’s creation based on the argument that
humans should not exercise destructive dominion
over God’s creation (nature/environment)
• Stewardship (in ecological sense): taking
responsibility for the property or fate of other people,
organisms, ecosystems. A counter ethic to dominion
thesis or view.
Buddhism: Harmony between humans and
nature is at the center of the religion
Buddism
India: Hinduism
India: Hunduism
Holy River Ganges, India
India: Hinduism
Native American’s and Environmental Ethics:
Nature as central to religious belief (traditionally)
Native American religions elevate certain animals to high spiritual status
Ethics
• Throughout much of western civilization, questions
of right and wrong have centered around actions of
humans towards other humans (Robbins)
• The inquiry has recently moved to environmental
ethics: what is right or wrong in our treatment of
the environment and other organisms, e.g. factory
farms where chickens and hogs are mass
produced, fishing nets and their effects on
dolphins, etc.
Environmental Ethics
• Ethics raise questions like: Who should have rights? Which people,
groups? We agree (somewhat) on certain
• rights for all people.
• Animals: which animals and what is the basis of our determination on
which animals have rights?
• Circus/show animals: “killer whales (orcas) – in captivity, “Black Fish”
documentary. Should wild animals be caged and used for entertainment?
• Are our views about all animals or some? Where do those values/ethics
come from?
• Should trees, e.g. endangered species have rights?
• Athens tree that owns itself.
• To wear or not to wear: fur, ivory, leather (which leather, why or why not?
• To eat or not to eat: meat, etc? Does production matter?
Anthropocentrism (covered)
• An ethical standpoint that views humans as
the central factor in considerations of right
and wrong action toward nature (Robbins)
• Society moving away from this (as discussed)
Ecocentrism
• An environmental ethical belief that
argues that ecological considerations, not
human priorities should be central to
decisions about right and wrong actions
(Robbins)
Biocentrism
• The belief that all life deserves
equal, moral consideration. That all living
things have a right to exist on earth, whether
they are useful to humans, or not.
Deep Ecology
• An environmental philosophy that argues that all
organisms, their populations, species and ecosystems
have an intrinsic value (their own right) to exist on earth
as fellow citizens of planet earth, that is not connected to
their use to humans.
Deep Ecology with Satish Kumar 2.44 min **
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlmTLvHMg-g
• Beyond Deep Ecology with Satish Kumar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlmTLvHMg-g
Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Ethics
(covered)
• Over dependence on potatoes in Ireland e.g.
violated the anthropocentric ethic by endangering
food supplies, e.g. a million people died when the
Irish potato failed – too much dependence on one or
very few food crops.
• Hence violation of ecocentric ethics can lead to
violation of anthropocentric ethics as well e.g. case
of Irish potato blight – limiting biodiversity affected
food security.
Aldo Leopold Land Ethic
• Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) Land Ethic: “A thing is right
when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and
beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it
tends otherwise” (Leopold 1949).
• Mid-way between preservation & conservation ethics –
supports sustainable land use
• The Land Ethic urged for moral (ethical) consideration
beyond humans to include soils, water, plants, and
animals – collectively, the land. This is know as moral
extensionism. Is similar to ecocentrism
Aldo Leopold Land Ethic 3.14 min
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIXro010n2I
Factory Farming
Should animals be raised like this? What is Robbin’s view of factory farming
Factory Farming
Factory Farming
Arguments for or against “factory” farms
http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com/
March 5, 2015 - Ringling Bros. has announced
that they are ending their elephant act.
To Wear or not Wear; to Eat or not to Eat
• Cow leather? Snake and alligator skin? Ivory
and fur? Why/why not?
• Vegetarianism, veganism, carnivore?! Nonvegetarianism: environmental arguments for
or against
Earth Shaker: The Sam Labudde Story
Earth Shaker: The Sam Labudde Story (17.00)
https://vimeo.com/7784773
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How did Sam Labudde contribute to dolphin protection?
Which country’s territorial waters was filming and dolphin killing witnessed first day of
filming?
How many spinner dolphins were killed on first day? How many were there worldwide
then? How many tuna were caught on the first day?
In which part of Pacific Ocean were dolphins and yellowfin tuna ”occupying” in the video?
Where do the yellowfin tuna swim in relation to dolphins?
How do fishermen use dolphins in this interaction?
In the video, how many dolphins were killed in 30 years of fishing using the kind of net in
the video?
Who did Labudde show the video to?
What did Starkist Tuna do, and later, Bumble Bee & Chicken of the Sea companies?
What role did business and consumers play in effecting environmental changes?
What award did Labudde get for his work in dolphin protection?
Why is it unacceptable/offensive that dolphins were killed, but not tuna?
Sharkfin dishes in China
Why do we tolerate farm animal slaughter more than dolphins?
Tree That Owns Itsfelf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6baz-4nYe
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