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ch. 2: ethical theories and the environment - Coggle Diagram
ch. 2: ethical theories and the environment
philosophy
what
is
done vs. what
ought
to be done
the Land Ethic by Aldo Leopold
retells the story of the Trojan war + how Odysseus hanged a bunch of slaves
Odysseus thought it was ok because ppl saw slaves as property --> therefore there was no ethical dilemma
Leopold says it's the same with how humans view the environment
normative ethics
making suggestions/prescribing behavior
ex. "we should reduce CCO2 emissions"
philosophical ethics
analyze/evaluate normative judgements + their supporting reasons
defending/explaining normative claims
ethical theories
attempt to provide systematic answers to the philosophical questions raised by normative or descriptive approaches to ethics
individual moral POVs or POV of larger society
ex. what type of society is best?
natural law
Aristotle
four causes of an object's existence
Material = what an object is made from, its matter
Formal = how the matter is organized/structured (ex. tree vs table have same material cause but different form)
Efficient cause = how something comes to be what it is (ex. a carpenter made the table)
Final cause = purpose or characteristic activity of the object (ex. table is meant to be sat around/eaten on)
Two basic types of natural objects
those that are alive and those that are not
nutritive soul = plants
nutritive + appetitive soul = animals
nutritive + appetitive + thinking soul = humans
Believed that all natural objects had a purpose/final cause -->
teleological
to understand an object fully, we must understand its natural function/activity
ex. a teleological explanation of a heart would say that it's an organ that pumps blood throughout the body
When things fulfill their purpose, they actualize their potential
ex. a tree that grows as big as it can, a heart that works properly
Aquinas
teleology + christian theology
interprets Aristotle's ideas as proof of god's plans for nature
natural order = moral order
other ethical theories
Virtue ethics
emphasizes character/habits over specific actions
"What kind of person should I be?"
Utilitarianism
goal = maximize good for the most amount of people
look for consequences of particular actions (maximize good consequences)
Intrinsic value = good/happiness pleasure
Instrumental = the things that are used to achieve intrinsic value
Hedonistic utilitarianism
pleasure/absence of pain is the only good
Preference utilitarianism
people are happy when their desires are satisfied
goal = satisfy as many individual preferences as possible
associated with the free-market economy
Issue: How do we measure happiness?
not necessarily quantifiable
closest/easiest way is via money
issue = doesn't paint the full picture
Deontology
acting on principle rather than consequences
Kantian ethics
people are only held responsible for what they CAN control
as rational beings, it is ethical to act on principle
categorical imperative
: treat people as ENDS rather than MEANS, we must treat all people as rational beings rather than tools for our own purposes
ex. of rights in Kantian ethics
right to private property can't be taken even if it would provide a habitat for an ecosystem that would benefit others
applying theories to the environment
Natural law
all parts of an ecosystem have a role
ecological problems arise when humans interfere with the natural order
Objections to natural law
"all natural things" are good --> including HIV??
there are some naturally occurring things (natural disasters, disease) that are part of ecosystems that are NOT good, contradicts natural law
David Hume
science can tell us FACTS about nature, but it can't provide a basis for normative judgements on its own
Evolution and natural law
the order found in nature is not a result of a divine plan
instead, it is the result of species adapting to their environment/natural selection