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Environmental Ethics - PHIL2420
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Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
 
 
School:  School of History and Philosophy
 
 
Course Outline: http://philosophy.arts.unsw.edu.au/
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.125 (more info)
 
 
Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Prerequisite: 36 units of credit
 
 
Equivalent: HPSC2500
 
 
Excluded: PHIL5501
 
 
Fee Band: 2 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description

Aims to familiarise students with both the content and the processes involved in ethical decision-making in issues concerning the natural environment. Begins with an enquiry into basic concepts operative in discussions in environmental ethics such as 'value', 'nature', 'natural' and 'environment'. There is also an examination of various approaches to environmental debates including applied ethics, deep ecology, holism and ecofeminism. Students are encouraged to consider arguments arising from different value commitments and to understand the importance of, and the procedures associated with, the justification of a particular position.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course students can expect to have developed some or all of the following to a degree:

Generic Skills and Attributes
  • Capacity for analytical and critical thinking
  • Ability to engage in independent and reflective learning
  • Appreciation of, and respect for, diversity
  • Respect for ethical practice and social responsibility
  • Skills of effective communication
Areas of Knowledge
  • Understanding of a range of ethical theories and their applications in debates about the environment
  • Understanding key areas in debates about environmental matters
  • Understanding the history of debates in environmental ethics.

Assessment

  • Participation - 10%
  • Short reflective essay (1000 words) - 15%
  • Exercise on formulating Questions - 15%
  • Critical summaries (1000 words) - 15%
  • Questions: social and political elements of technology practice - 15%
  • Final essay (2500 words) - 30%

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