ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

UNIT – 3

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS:

INTRODUCTION:

Quest. Give a detailed description of environmental ethics (June-2014, 500 words)

Quest.  Environmental Ethics ( June- 2011, Dec-2013)

Quest. Write an essay on Environmental Ethics and the importance of its learning today( June-2013)

Quest Define environmental ethics. Explain the three levels of environmental ethics.

Quest.   Discuss the nature and scope of environmental ethics (June-2012)

Ans. As the very name environmental ethics suggests, it deals with the ethical problems related to environmental protection.  To justify from the point of view of ethics, to global environmental protection is the aim of environmental ethics.  The main characteristics of environmental ethics are a follows:

            Firstly, environmental ethics is the extended form of traditional ethics.  While, traditional ethics is concerned about the problems related to human duties, environmental ethics goes beyond it and includes humanity in general and animals and whole nature as well. Its realm is biosphere – both present and future state of it.

            Secondly, environmental ethics has interdisciplinary approach to biospheric problems.  It includes disciplines like environmental politics, environmental economics, environmental sciences and environmental literature etc.  All these disciplines provide important guidance for environmental ethics and environmental ethics, also offers them value foundations.

            Thirdly, environmental ethics is a combination of various sub-disciplines. Its anthropological basis, animal right theory, biocentrism and egocentrism all provide ethical foundation and justification for environmental protection.  All these sub-disciplines assert the same view it is everyone’s duty to protect the environment, though in their approach to the problem they differ. Cultural traditions also influence the ideas of environmental ethics.

            Fourthly, environmental problem is a global phenomenon. Ecological crisis transcends national boundaries.  Pollution is not limited to any particular nation.  Global warming is a matter of concern for all the countries of the world.  So, it is necessary for all the countries to reach to consensus on the point of values and co-operate with each other.  It needs global governance.  Thus, we can say that environmental ethics is global ethics.

            Fifthly, environmental ethics is leading new paths and ways to solving the problems. Ideas of environmental ethics cross the demarcation made by conventional ethics by including non-human beings and future generations.  Environmental ethics is dead against materialism, hedonism and consumerism including capitalism and pro ‘green lifestyle’ that is in sync with nature.  Economic arrangement that is aware of the earth’s limits and careful to the concerns of life is acceptable to it.  It is pro-pacifism and against arms competition.  It supports equitable international economic and political order that promotes democracy, protects, human rights and provides global justice.

            Environmental ethics gives us scope for global action and thought.  It makes us realize our cosmic existence.  It expands to its fullness to human ethics.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: WHY AND WHY NOW? :

Quest: Write an essay on Environmental Ethics and the importance of its learning today. (june 2013, 250 words)

Ans. Importance of Learning Environmental Ethics:  The prime question which may be asked about environmental ethics is:   why do we need this discipline? If we want to decide to ignore the issues regarding environment then indirectly it is decide to let the environment destroy.  But immediately after this decision the follow up question will be there: ‘Can we do with it anymore?’ Can we continue with the ‘business as usual’?

            The situation has changed drastically due to the impact of scientific revolution and technological development.  It has created a plethora of moral problems which are screaming for attention.

            Though ethics is a discipline of hoary antiquity environmental ethics is a recent development in the field of knowledge. Ethics discusses the issues regarding human conduct i.e. freedom of will, motive, intention etc. Now, with the growth of human intelligence and capabilities, we have more choices as well to opt for.  Now, we are capable to do more, with the enhancement of our skill. Now, within the domain of our choice is the birth, life and death of our species and others.  It covers the whole arena of living being on this land.    

             When, the human species was not so evolved to understand the ecosystem as a whole or when it was considered as beyond the approach of human destruction at such a time there was no question of environmental ethics.  But due to the advancement of scientific knowledge and power ensueing that knowledge, we people have achieved destructive power as well.  As, scientists are amused by their ‘value neutral’ methodology the need for environmental ethics has become more pressing.

            Though this ‘properly value free’ methodology has bestowed a lot of   capacities and choices to human being yet being devoid of ethical norms and moral restraints these choices and capacities have become hazardous for living beings. Since, the choices are there, we cannot ignore them and ‘not to decide is to decide’ not to do.

            In the words of William James, the issues of environmental ethics are momentous, live, forced and these issues need moral decisions of utmost importance that we should make. It is our moral responsibility to urgently decide and solve the problems which are inescapable. Our reckless behaviour may destroy the natural environment and our future, as well.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: DESCRIPTIVE, NORMATIVE AND CRITICAL:

Quest: Define environmental ethics. Explain the three levels of environmental ethics.(Dec-2014, 250 words)

  Three levels of Environmental Ethics:

            Moral philosophers have divided into three “levels” the study of their discipline.  The first level i.e. ‘descriptive ethics’ is related to the matter of value for the people.  It includes moral opinions of the people without offering a moral judgement of those beliefs. So, descriptive ethics may be mentioned as a form of social science.

            The second level i.e. normative ethics which is also mentioned as “prescriptive ethics” assesses the moral issues like right or wrong, duties and rights, justice and injustice, virtue and wickedness etc.  On this level of ethical discourse, moral values of acts, their motive and intentions are assessed.  They may be appreciated or assessed as ‘good’, ‘best’ course of action.  Normative responses to the issues are made in this type of discourse.

            To try to clarify the meaning of normative terms or to examine the structure, grounds and justification of normative arguments is to involve in the performance of critical ethics or “meta-ethics”.  The only matter of concern for critical moral philosopher is logic, language and methodology of normative discourse and argument.  He is not interested in the subject matter of judgement.

So, after applying these three levels of ethical inquiry to environmental ethics we find that descriptive environmental ethics is not a significant problem in environmental ethics. Because, descriptive ethics, instead of being a part of moral philosophy, is a part of social science.

            Mainly, it is normative ethics, which deals with the real theme of morality i.e. ‘what should we do?’ or “How should we treat certain natural area?” ‘Whether it is useful or useless to protect a certain endangered species?’ How much effort and money should be spent to protect them?  Or ‘How much risk and damage could be afforded, in return of nuclear power or synthetic fuels?’

            While, critical ethics deals with the meanings of ethical concepts itself and justification of normative claims  environmental meta-ethics deals with questions like, the technical use of the terms ‘developer or preservationist.’

            Thus, we can say that the term ‘environmental ethics’ is to be used as a meta-ethical term indicating any ethical position.  It deals with the problem related to man’s responsibility to nature.  While the term ‘ecological morality’ discusses the normative environment ethics of authors like Aldo Leopold etc.  These ecologists view human person as a part of the natural community with moral responsibilities towards that community.  

Ecological Morality : not typed

THE MODERN CONSTRUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS:

Quest: Explain the modern construction of environment-ethics.

Ans. Being the supreme creature of the creation, it is the duty of human being to protect the right of other non-human beings in nature. Environmental ethics gives us the guidelines to consider this duty of ours as a part of our ethical and moral values.  Along with non-human beings, we have duties towards our environment also. Because we are getting the benefit of surviving due the environment. If we wouldn’t protect the environment, it will prove self-destructive for us. At the same time if we wouldn’t try to protect the non human beings then also indirectly we will be killing our own primitive existence.  No human being will be evolved out of those non-human beings if they will be killed in their primary stage.  Those non-human beings are an integral part of our existence.

            We are cutting down the forests, using excessively the natural resources.  This excessive use of resources leads to depletion and forest cutting, creates environmental degradation which will lead to risking lives of ours and future generations as well. Being aware of this hazarduous situations scientist Rachel Carson and environmentalists propounded the school of environmental ethics as a branch of environmental philosophy.  The Earth Day celebration of 1970 also contributed much in this field creation.

            The person who is responsible for the depletion and destruction of the environment has the sole responsibility to restore it.

            Ever increasing human population is another factor for the depletion of the natural resources.  The imbalance created by us in the nature is sure to rebound on us.  By doing this we will be depriving ourselves our future generations and co-existing non-human beings also.

            All these are immoral and against the values propounded by ethics.  So, environmental ethics in its modern version is sorely needed in this age of environmental degradation.

           

            Are we the whole-sole authority of the earth? Are we bound by the ethical obligation towards the natural world? Should we use all the resources of the earth for our own purposes?  Does it include in our duty to be good stewards over the earth? Is it possible to give legal right to the trees? What is our religious approach about our relation with the cosmos?

            There are some perennial questions to be answered by environmental ethics.

Q1. What is environmental ethics?

Q2. What are the distinctive features of environmental ethics?

Q3. What is green life style?

Q4. What is sustainable development?

Q5. How do we foster pacifism?

Q6. Explain land ethics.

Q7. Distinguish three levels of environmental ethics.

Q8. What is environmental morality?

Q9. Why has environmental ethics become an important issue of human concern?