OAKTON COMMUNITYCOLLEGE
GENERIC COURSE SYLLABUS
I.
II.
Course
Prefix
PHL
Course
Number
204
Course
Name
Environmental Ethics
Credit Lecture
3
3
Lab
0
Prerequisites
None
III.
Course (Catalog) Description
Course studies meaning, value, and moral responsibility in relationship to the
environment. Topics include examination of at least four conflicting theories about what
constitutes an adequate environmental ethic, and the application of these theories to
environmental issues such as climate change, environmental racism, and wilderness
preservation.
IV.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, the student will be able to do the following:
A. Explain at least four fundamentally different theories of environmental ethics and
the problems that these theories address.
B. Formulate and evaluate criticisms of all the ethical theories that they study.
C. Apply theories of environmental ethics to concrete situations on the personal level,
on the national level, and on the global level.
D. Adopt positions on contemporary social issues and use the ethical theory with
which they agree to defend their positions both orally and in writing.
E. Evaluate the ways in which theories of environmental ethics address the needs of
the diverse populations of our globalized world.
F. Exhibit values related to teamwork and collaboration, fostered by the pedagogy of
shared-inquiry and critical dialogue appropriate to the humanities and philosophy.
COURSE SYLLABUS (GENERIC)
PHL 201
V.
Page 2
Academic Integrity
Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate
academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:
 cheating,
 plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
 falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
 helping others to cheat,
 unauthorized changes on official documents,
 pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
 making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
 any other behavior that violates academic integrity.
There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s
policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against
you. If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the
assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of
the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.
Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.
VI.
Outline of Topics
(This is a sample outline of topics. In your outline of topics please specify the dates on which you
will cover specific topics and other important dates such as exams and paper deadlines.)
I.
II.
Traditional Western Perspectives Opposing Environmental Ethics….. Selections from
Lynn White and Lewis Moncrief
Debates over animal rights
A. Traditional arguments maintaining that animals don’t have moral
standing….Selection from Immanuel Kant
B.
The status of animals
1. Peter Singer’s utilitarian defense of animals….Selection from Peter
Singer
2. Tom Regan’s deontological defense of animals….Selection from Tom
Regan and Mary Ann Warren
3. Challenges from environmental ethicists
COURSE SYLLABUS (GENERIC)
PHL 201
C.
Page 3
Should plants have moral standing as well?…Selection from Paul Taylor
III.
Film on factory farming
IV.
The Land Ethic
A. Aldo Leopold’s moral vision and rejection of anthropocentrism…selection
from Aldo Leopold
B.
Callicott’s systematization of the land ethic based on moral
intuitionism….Selections from J. Baird Callicott, Michael Nelson, and
Roger Paden
C.
Rolston’s attempted synthesis of a biocentric and an anthropocentrist
ethics…Selections from Holmes Rolston and Ned Hettinger
V.
Film on wolf re-introduction at Yellowstone
VI.
The Challenge of Deep Ecology
A. The Eight-Point Manifesto of Naess and Sessions.
B.
Naess’ ethic of self-realization and his rejection of
anthropocentrism….Selections from Naess, Sessions, and Devall
C.
The social critique of deep ecology …Selections from Ramachandra Guha
and Richard Watson
VII.
Film on global warming
VIII.
Ecology and Social Justice
A. Social Ecology….Selection from Murray Bookchin
B.
Socialist Ecology…Selections from John Bellamy Foster
C.
Ecofeminism…….. Selections from Vandana Shiva and Maria Mies
IX.
Student Presentations: Case Study on Vegetarianism and Food
Ethics….Selections from Garrett Hardin, William Murdoch, Mylan Engel, Mae
Ho, Tristram Coffin, and Michael Fox
X.
Students Presentations: Case Study on Climate Change and Environmental
Racism…..Selections from the Pew Center on Gobal Climate Chiage, Stephen
Gardiner, Al Gore, Maria Mies, and Alan Durning
XI.
Student Presentations: Case Study on Yellowstone and the Preservation of
Wildnerness and Endangered Species…..Selections from Coursepack
VII. Methods of Instruction
Course may be taught as a face-to-face, media-based, hybrid, or online course.
A. Lectures and discussion
B. Small group work
COURSE SYLLABUS (GENERIC)
PHL 201
Page 4
C. Films
D. Student presentations and debates
VIII.
Course Practices Required
(Please include information here about all expectations you have for your students
regarding behavior, work, etc. The following are sample topics you may wish to cover.
Please be aware that you must require students in this course to produce at least 15 pages
of critical written assignments over the course of the semester. These may be assigned in
a variety of ways including journals, response papers, field trip projects, etc.)
A. Attendance
B. Standards for written work
C. Quizzes/Exams
D. Participation
E. Essays
F. Final Project
G. Special policies about make-up exams, late papers, or other matters of concern
H. Here is a sample:
a. Students must take four quizzes. I will distribute a brief study guide before
each quiz. The quizzes will consist of questions that will require brief
answers of several sentences. If you miss a quiz, you may take a make-up
in the Testing Center before the next class. If you cannot make up the quiz
at this point, you will need to make special arrangements with me to take
an alternative quiz later in the semester. This alternative quiz will be an
essay exam. They will be short answer quizzes.
b. Students must write three 5-7 page papers. Two of the papers will be on
the philosophical debates, and one paper will be on a case study. In these
papers, you will need to take positions and to defend these positions with
philosophical arguments. You will also need to demonstrate knowledge of
the assigned readings. You will receive a guide to writing philosophy
papers before you begin work on your first paper. Papers must be
typewritten and proofread.
c. Students will work with a group to present an oral presentation on one of
the cases.
d. Participation is very important in this class. You may earn participation points by
attending class. (If you are late or must leave early, you will receive half credit
for the day.) You will also need to attend at least three outside events related to
the class, and you will receive one or two participation points for each of these
events. We will also offer some extra credit opportunities to make up for
absences. These opportunities will involve attendance at events relevant to the
class such as public forums on environmental issues. I do not distinguish between
COURSE SYLLABUS (GENERIC)
PHL 201
Page 5
excused and unexcused absences. However, if you need to be absent because of
something such as religious holidays or family emergency, I will make every
effort to insure that you have ways to earn extra credit that will compensate for
your absence. A…34+, B….31-33, C….28-30, D….25-27
IX.
Instructional Materials
Note: Current textbook information for each course and section is available on Oakton’s
Schedule of Classes.
An anthology such as Environmental Ethics: Readings in Theory and Application, edited
by Pojman and Pojman.
X.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
(In this section, please present the percentages or point breakdown of their final grade.
The writing assignments should count for at least 40% of the final grade. An example
follows.)
I.
Quizzes/Exams……40 points
J. Essays……40 points
K. Final project with oral presentation……10 points
L. Attendance and participation………10 points
M. Grading scale: 90-100, A…….80-89, B………70-79, C……….60-69……..D
XI.
Other Course Information
A. Disabilities
If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be
entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request
accommodations or services, contact the Access and Disability Resource Center at the
Des Plaines or Skokie campus. All students are expected to fulfill essential course
requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a
course or degree program.
B. Discrimination
The Oakton Community College Catalog states:
Oakton Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed,
religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status in
admission to and participation in its educational programs, activities and services, or
employment practices. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment or sexual
assault by or of its students or employees.
COURSE SYLLABUS (GENERIC)
PHL 201
Page 6
In keeping with this policy of tolerance and non-discrimination, in this class all of us
(myself included) should strive to listen and give careful consideration to all ideas
expressed in class, especially those that are different from our own, without attacking
or demeaning the people who have those views. We should also strive to avoid using
insulting terms or telling offensive jokes when talking to or about individuals or
groups.
C. Instructor information
Office number and office hours:
Phone number:
Email and website:
Approval Dates:
(Faculty: Do not include the following information on your individual syllabi created for class
distribution.)
Effective beginning term:
Fall 2013
Ending term:
Syllabus prepared by: Hollace Graff
Date: October 2010
Revised by:
Date: _______________
____________
Reviewed by Chair:
Hollace Graff
Date: October 2010 ___
Approval by Dean:
Linda Korbel
Date
June 2013