UIB
Universitat de les
Illes Balears
Masters in Cognition and Human Evolution
SUBJECT DESCRIPTION
Details
Subject
Name of subject: Environmental Ethics and Policy
Code: 10032
Type: Obligatory for students in the Anthropology pathway. Optional for others.
Level: Postgraduate
Language: Spanish
Teaching staff
Subject leader
Name: Joaquín Valdivielso Navarro Contact: jvaldivielso@uib.es
Pre-requisites:
Number of ECTS credits:
Contact hours: 10 hours of work in class. 20 hours of virtual class.
Independent study hours: 95
Key terms:
Study of the ethical and political implications of human impact on the environment.
Subject skills and objectives
Specific:
 Understand the ethical and political dimension of interaction between humans and the
natural environment.
 Ability to update knowledge. Knowledge of bibliographical sources and other available
resources.
 Develop literature search skills.
 Ability to write academic works of a publishable quality.
 Ability to present and defend own work.
General:
 Understand, analyse, relate and express information
 Encourage interdisciplinary conceptual and practical work.
 Communicate, be assertive, cooperate
 Develop interpretative and critical and hermeneutic skills.
 Develop ability to present knowledge gained.
Content
1. From the philosophy of nature to the philosophy of the environment.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
1.1. Classic organicism, teleologism and modern mechanicism.
1.2. Darwinism and the birth of ecology.
1.3. Organicism and systemism in contemporary natural science.
The problem of moral extensionism and “intrinsic value”.
2.1. Systems, landscapes and collective entities.
2.2. Non-human animals.
2.3. Future generations.
Response of the great currents of moral philosophy.
3.1. Utilitarianism: Singer and animal liberationsim.
3.2. Liberalism and Rawlsian principles of justice.
3.3. Critical theory and communicative ethics.
Politics and ecology: actors.
4.1. Conservationism, environmentalism and ecologism.
4.2. New social movements and a new paradigm of politics.
4.3. Institutionalisation: green parties and international regimes.
Politics and ecology: ideas.
5.1. Malthusianism and biologicism: biopolitics.
5.2. Environmental and ecological justice, and anthropogenic natural disasters.
5.3. Ecofeminism and ecosocialism.
Methods and student work plan
Subject aims
Learning methods
Understand most
recurrent controversies in
human ecology.
Promotion of conceptual
interdisciplinary work.
Understand, analyse and
communicate
information.
Develop literature search
skills.
Type of group
Independent
study hours
25
Tutor presentation
in class.
Whole group
Tutorial Choice of
area, literature
search and
supervision of
practical work.
Laboratory
Literature search in
the library and
databases.
Study of theory
Independent and in small 5
groups.
Ability to update
knowledge. Develop
interpretative and critical
and hermeneutic skills.
Ability to write academic Practical work
works of a publishable
Prepare activities
quality.
for preparation of
practical work.
Develop ability to present Presentation and
knowledge gained.
commentary in
Communicate, be
group of practical
assertive, cooperate
work.
Contact
hours
25
10
Independent and in small 10
groups.
Individual reading
40
Independent and in small 40
groups.
Whole group
5
5
Learning agreement and assessment criteria and instruments
Assessment criteria:
 Adequate understanding of the main theoretical issues in the various moral and political
dimensions of interaction between man and the natural environment.
 Assimilate conceptual knowledge of authors and schools studied.
2



Propose a research topic.
Elaborate and defend a piece of research.
Criticise and analyse in theoryclasses and presentations of practical work.
Assessment instruments:
 Use of knowledge in class.
 Use of knowledge gained individually and collectively n elaborating practical work.
 Logical coherence, terminological rigour and formal correction in practical work.
 Rigour in presenting practical work.
 Contribution in presentation of work.
Assessment criteria:
1. Contribution in class (40%)
2. Following tutorials (10%)
3. Practical work (50%)
Is assessment organised by means of a learning agreement?
No
Material for independent study and recommended reading.
Virtual lectures via Campus Extens Moodle. Recommended reading:
ETXEBERRIA, X., “La ética ante la crisis ecológica”, Cuadernos Bakeaz, 5, 1994.
VALDIVIELSO, J., “¿Hay un lugar en Rawls para la cuestión ambiental?”, Isegoría, 31, 2005.
- “Homo sapiens non urinat in ventum. Democracia deliberativa y racionalidad
ecológica”, Cuaderno Gris, en prensa, 2006.
- “La globalización del ecologismo. Del egocentrismo a la justicia ambiental”, La Laguna,
en prensa, 2006.
Bibliography, resources and appendices
ATTFIELD R. AND A. BELSEY (1994): Philosophy and the Natural Environment, New York,
Cambridge U.P.
ATTFIELD, R. (2003): Environmental Ethics. An Overview for the Twenty-First Century,
Cambridge, Polity Press.
BENTON, T. (1993): Natural Relations. Ecology, Animal Rights and Social Justice, London,
Verso.
DOBSON, A. (1997): El pensamiento político verde. Una nueva ideología para el siglo XXI,
Barcelona, Paidós.
DOBSON, A. (1998): Justice and the Environment. Concepcions of Environmental Sustainability
and Dimensions of Social Justice, Oxford, Oxford U.P.
DOBSON, A. (2003): Citizenship and the Environment, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
DOHERTY, B. (2002): Ideas and Actions in the Green Movement, London, Routledge.
DRYZEK J. S. AND D. SCHLOSBERG (1998): Debating the Earth. The Environmental Politics
Reader, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
OFFE, C. (1988): Partidos políticos y nuevos movimientos sociales, Madrid, MTSS.
O’CONNOR, J. (1998): Natural Causes. Essays in Ecological Marxism, New York, Guilford.
O’CONNOR, M. (ed.) (1994): Is Capitalism Sustainable? Political Economy and the Politics of
Ecology, New York, Guilford.
PATERSON, M. (2000): Understanding Global Environmental Politics. London: MacMillan.
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TORGERSON, D. (1999) The Promise of Green Politics. Environmentalism and the Public
Sphere, London, Duke University Press.
VALDIVIELSO, J. (2004): Les dimensions socials de la crisi ecológica, Palma, UIB.
VELAYOS CASTELO, C. (1996): La Dimensión moral del medio ambiente: ¿necesitamos una
nueva ética?, Comares, Granada.
Journals: Environmental Ethics, Environmental Values, Environmental Politics, Ecología
Política, Capitalisme Nature Socialism, Ecologie Politique
Link to the subject learning plan
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