Environmental Ethics – Philosophy 28
Spring Quarter – 2007
Instructor: Christina Waters, PhD - xtina@ucsc.edu
Porter D-129 – 459/2256
Office Hours: Tu 11am – noon and by appointment.
Classroom: Stevenson 150 – Tu & Th 8-9:45am
TAs: Sandra Dreisbach: sdreisba@ucsc.edu; Jessica Samuels:
jsamuels@ucsc.edu; Sara Rettus: srettus@ucsc.com
Course information: http://arts.ucsc.edu/faculty/cwaters
Required Texts:
Environmental Ethics, Susan J. Armstrong & Richard G. Botzler, 2004,
McGraw-Hill, 3rd ed.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick, 1968, Ballentine
Books.
Film Screenings:
Grizzly Man, dir. Werner Herzog (2005)
Baraka, dir. Ron Fricke (1992)
Rivers & Tides – Andy Goldsworthy (2001)
Planet Earth - 2007
The course will explore templates for ethical attitudes, consideration and
actions involving human life, non-human animals and the environment.
Evaluation: One short take-home essay, one in-class mid-term and
one final paper are required. Because material on the exam will draw
from information and interpretation developed in class, absenteeism may
affect your grade. Class attendance is strongly recommended. The final
paper offers students the opportunity to respond in depth to a single topic.
Late papers and late exams will be marked down one half grade for the
first day, a full grade for the second day.
Discussion section attendance is mandatory. Three absences will result in
a full grade reduction. Four absences will result in failure of the course. A
final paper – 4-5 pages - is due on June 7.
Grades will factor in the quality of written work (including in-class
quizzes), grasp of key issues as displayed on mid-term, discussion section
attendance and overall participation.
Written work – 60% (Take-home essay – 15%; Mid-term – 20%;
Final paper – 25%)
Participation - 40% (Discussion section – 20%; In-class reading quizzes
& participation – 20%)
No headphones and no cell phones!
Syllabus – April 9, 2007
Week One
Tuesday – April 3
Setting the stage....”In the beginning.....”Overview of main strands of
environmental philosophy.
Reading for next class: Rachels p. 58 –“Intro to Moral Philosophy”
Thursday – April 5
Utilitarianism vs. inherent values theory. Critique of the dominant
historical positions, based upon Rachels.
Reading for next class: p. 330 Singer – “Environmental Values” &
http://www.salon.com/books/int/2006/05/08/singer/
Week Two
Tuesday – April 10
Discussion of Singer. Humans and non-human animals — how is moral
consideration determined? How is the natural world/social world defined?
Thursday – April 12
In-class screening of Grizzly Man
Reading for next class: Chapters 1-6, Androids
Week Three
Tuesday – April 17 – Discuss Singer, Grizzly Man & Androids.
The allure of animals. How do we feel/observe the difference between
humans and non-humans? Criteria for determining moral consideration.
The subtle relationship between the natural and non-natural.
Reading for next class: Abram p. 148, “A More Than Human World,”
Thursday – April 19
Discuss Abram across the view of human/natural world presented by
Timothy Treadwell in Grizzly Man. Go over Androids….
Reading for next class: Intro to “Ecofeminism” section & Warren
“Quilting Ecofeminist Philosophy” p. 412ff, Hand out essay topics.
Essays due next week on Thursday, April 26 – beginning of class
Week Four
Tuesday – April 24
Discussion of Warren article and Abram.
Compare dualistic models of moral consideration with ecofeminism.
Continuing assignment: Androids – Chapters 6-12.
Thursday – April 26 – Take-home Essay due
Screening - Rivers & Tides
Reading for next class: Cuomo article, “On Ecofeminist Philosophy”
On class website: http://arts.ucsc.edu/faculty/cwaters
Week Five
Tuesday – May 1
Discuss Cuomo, feminism and empathy in relation to Androids, and Rivers
& Tides. Language and the shape of the environment. Key talking point:
What qualifies something for moral consideration?
Why is it wrong to kill? Who/what is it wrong to kill?
Reading for next class: Lori Gruen, “Animals” – on website
Thursday – May 3 Hand back essays
Finish discussion of ecofeminism - Gruen article
Reframing the experience of Nature: empathy as key to moral
consideration.
For next class: Be prepared to discuss Do Androids Dream of Electric
Sheep? through Chapter 12.
Week Six
Tuesday – May 8 Finish Eco-feminism Discussion of Gruen, Warren and
Cuomo: Discuss Androids up to Chapter 12.
The new model of humans/nature. Andy Goldsworthy – eco-artist;
refreshing the relationship between humans and the natural world.
Reading for next class: Androids - Chapters 13 - 17
Thursday – May 10 – in-class midterm EXAM
Will cover films, Androids, Singer, Abram, Gruen & eco-feminism
Week Seven
Tuesday – May 15
Film screening – Baraka
Reading for next class: Singer, p. 323 “Equality for Animals”
Thursday – May 17 Discuss Singer & Androids, and ecofeminism as a
response to previous dualistic positions; Baraka - alternative scenarios for
human engagement with non-human world.
Week Eight
Tuesday – May 22
Finish discussion of Singer article. Why is it wrong to kill? Who/what is it
wrong to kill? Go over Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Reading for Tuesday May 29: William Cronon, “The Trouble with
Wilderness,” abridged version, on class website:
http://arts.ucsc.edu/faculty/cwaters
Thursday – May 24
Film Screening of Planet Earth: The Future
This is a special segment of the Planet Earth series, and was not aired on
television – it deals with vanishing animal species and ecosystems
Final Paper topics handed out
Week Nine - no Monday or Wed. discussion sections this week
Tuesday – May 29
Discussion of Planet Earth – issues of our responsibility to animals and
species. Discussion of Cronon.
Reading for next class: Stephen Jay Gould “The Golden Rule” p. 288.
Thursday – May 31
Discussion of Gould & Cronon. Gould’s position. The value of
maintaining the human/animal – domestic/wild distinctions.Comparison of
film texts – Grizzly Man, Baraka, Planet Earth, Rivers & Tides.
Reading for next class: finish “Do Androids dream…….”.
Week Ten – no Friday discussion section this week
Tuesday – June 5
Overview of Androids and the future of Planet Earth. Who qualifies for
moral consideration, and why? Is ethical status merely a construct? What
does Baraka teach us about popular constructions of nature, human
relationships with other species and wilderness? Discuss Timothy
Treadwell and Rick Deckard.
Thursday – June 7 FINAL CLASS + In-class
quiz: hand in final paper.