University of Edinburgh

Spring 2009

Honours Option

Philosophy and the Environment

Leemon McHenry

Course Description

This course explores the role of philosophy in presenting views of nature that have both contributed to environmental degradation and offer a corrective to what is widely seen as a crisis.  As such the course examines the moral relationship of human beings to the environment and its nonhuman contents.  We will explore concepts of nature in the history of philosophy and consider how such views inform contemporary discussions of environmental ethics.  All views considered will be subjected to critical analysis to determine the strength and weakness of the arguments used to support the views.

Topics

Week 1: Overview of Environmental Ethics

Week 2: Views of the Natural World: Biblical Views, Descartes, Bacon, Kant

Week 3: Extending Ethics Beyond Humans: Non-Human Animals

Week 4: Extending Ethics Beyond Humans: Non-Human Animals

Week 5: Critical Evaluation of Animal Rights

Week 6: Extending Ethics Beyond Humans: Nature

Week 7: Extending Ethics Beyond Humans: Nature

Week 8: Metaphysics and Ethics: Spinoza and Naess

Week 9: Metaphysics and Ethics: James and Whitehead

Week 10: Metaphysics and Ethics: Sprigge

Week 11: Critical Evaluation of Biocentric Views

Outline

Week 1: Overview of Environmental Ethics

• Anthropocentric vs Eco- or Biocentric views
• Intrinsic vs instrumental views

Reading:

    Palmer, C. (2003) “An Overview of Environmental Ethics”

    Leopold, A. (2003) “The Land Ethic”

    Sylvan, R. (2003) “Is There a Need for a New, an Environmental Ethic”

All essays in Light and Rolston anthology.

Week 2: Views of the Natural World

• Anthropocentric Ethics Examined: Persons and Souls
• Populations: Man vs. Nature, Nature Wild vs. Nature Tamed
• Mechanistic Materialism—Descartes and Bacon
• The Anthropocentricism—Descartes and Kant

Reading:

Descartes, R. (1988) Meditations on First Philosophy in Descartes: Selected

Philosophical Writings, ed. by J. Cottingham, R. Stoothoff and D. Murdoch.

Kant, I (1946) Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Ethics

Kant, I. (1963) “Our Duties to Animals,” from Lectures on Ethics.

Week 3:  Extending Ethics Beyond Humans: Nonhuman Animals

• The Revolt Against Dualism
• Singer’s argument against Speciesism
• The Case for Animal Rights

Reading:

Singer, P. (2003) “Not for Humans Only: The Place of Nonhumans in Environmental

 Issues”

Regan, T. (2003) “Animal Rights: What’s in a Name?” and “The Case for Animal

 Rights”

All essays in Light and Rolston anthology.

Further Reading:

Singer, P. (1975) “All Animals Are Equal,” from Animal Liberation

Jamieson, D. (ed) (1999) Singer and His Critics

Week 4: Extending Ethics Beyond Humans: Nonhuman Animals

• Argument for Vegetarianism
• Argument against Experimentation

Reading:

Rachels, J. (1977) “Vegetarianism and “the Other Weight Problem” in Aiken and

            LaFollette, World Hunger and Moral Obligation

Singer, P. (1975) “Tools for Research,” in Animal Liberation, Ch. 2.

Week 5: Critical Evaluation of Animal Rights

• In Defense of Speciesism

Reading:

Machan, T. (1991) “Do Animals Have Rights?” Public Affairs Quarterly, 5/2.

Frey, R. G. (1983) “Moral Vegetarianism and the Argument from Pain and Suffering,”

            from Rights, Killing and Suffering

Cohen, C. (1986) “The Case for the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research, “The New

England Journal of Medicine, 315, 865-870.

Week 6: Extending Ethics Beyond Humans: Nature

• Nature as intrinsically valuable

Reading:

O’Neill, J (2003) “The Varieties of Intrinsic Value”

Rolston, H. (2003) “Value in Nature and the Nature of Value”

Sprigge, T. (1987) “Are there Intrinsic Values in Nature?” Journal of Applied

Philosophy 4, 21-28.

Further Reading:

Norton, B. (2003) “Environmental Ethics and Weak Anthropocentricism”

Hargrove, E. (2003) “Weak Anthropocentric Intrinsic Value”

All essays except Sprigge in Light and Rolston anthology.

Week 7: Extending Ethics Beyond Humans: Nature

• Organism: The Worldview of Deep Ecology, Biocentric Approaches

Reading:

Fox, W. (2003) “Deep Ecology”

Naess, A. (2003) “The Deep Ecological Movement: Some Philosophical Aspects”

Further Reading:

Gaard, G., and Gruen, L. (2003) “Ecofeminism: Toward Global Justice and Planetary

 Health,”

Warren, K., and Cheney, J. (2003) “Ecological Feminism and Ecosystem Ecology”

Weston, A. (2003) “Beyond Intrinsic Value: Pragmatism in Environmental Ethics”

All essays in Light and Rolston anthology.

Week 8: Metaphysics and Ethics: Spinoza and Naess

• Metaphysics and Ethics of Nature

Reading:

Naess, A. (1973) “The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement: A

Summary,” Inquiry, 16 95-100.

Naess, A. (1980) “Environmental Ethics and Spinoza’s Ethics, Comments on Genevieve

Lloyd’s article,” Inquiry, 23, 313-25.

Further Reading:

Spinoza, B. (1982) Baruch Spinoza: The Ethics and Selected Letters

Week 9: Metaphysics and Ethics: James and Whitehead

• Panpsychism and Sentientism
• James’ Radical Empiricism
• Whitehead’s Philosophy of Organism

Reading:

James, W.  (1891) Principles of Psychology, Chs. VI, IX, XV.

Whitehead, A. N. (1938) “Nature Alive,” in Modes of Thought, Ch. VII.

McHenry, L. (1995) “Panpsychism as the Subjectivity of Prehension,” Process Studies,

24, pp. 1-14.

Further Reading:

James, W. (1912) Essays in Radical Empiricism, Chs. I, II, III.

Sprigge, T. (1980) “The Distinctiveness of American Philosophy” in Two Centuries of

 Philosophy in America, in Caws, P (Oxford: Blackwell), pp. 199-214.

McHenry, L. (1992) Whitehead and Bradley: A Comparative Analysis (Albany: SUNY),

 Chs. 2, 4.

Week 10: Metaphysics and Ethics: Sprigge

• Sprigge’s Philosophy: Panpsychism and Absolute Idealism
• Sprigge’s Utilitarianism: Way-of-Life Utilitarianism

Reading:

McHenry, L. (2007) “The Philosophical Idealism of Timothy Sprigge,” in Basile and

 McHenry.

Sprigge, T. L. S. (1979) “Metaphysics, Physicalism, and Animal Rights,” Inquiry 22, pp.

101-43.

Sprigge, T. L. S. (1982) “The Importance of Subjectivity: An Inaugural Lecture,” Inquiry

25, 143-163.

Further Reading:

Sprigge, T. (1987) The Rational Foundation of Ethics (London: Routledge)

Sprigge, T. (1983) The Vindication of Absolute Idealism (Edinburgh University Press)

McHenry, L. (2002) “Timothy L. S. Sprigge (1932- ),” in Dematteis, Fosl and McHenry

 (eds), British Philosophers, 1800-2000 in the series Dictionary of Literary

 Biography, Vol. 262, (Detroit: Gale), pp. 266-274.

Week 11: Critical Evaluation of Biocentric Views

• Critiques of Panpsychism and Sentientism
• Composition and Evolution Problems

Reading:

James, W. (1891) The Principles of Psychology, Ch. VI.

Golf, P. (2006) “Experiences Don’t Sum,” in Strawson, G. et al., pp. 53-61.

McGinn, C. (2006) “Hard Questions: Comments on Galen Strawson,” in Strawson, G., et

 al., pp. 90-99.

Essay Topics

Content from various parts of the course are relevant to each of these essay questions.  The suggested readings constitute only a focal point for your thinking on these issues.

Is speciesism analogous to sexism and racism?

Are experiments using non-human animals to benefit humans morally permissible?

Are we morally obligated to become vegetarians?

Does nature have intrinsic value?

Do we need a deep ecology?

Is Naess’s Spinozistic view a compelling argument for deep ecology?

What is the basis for Whitehead’s metaphysics for the development of an environmental ethics?  Discuss the affinities and contrasts with Sprigge’s views?

Key Texts

Basile, P. and McHenry, L. (eds) (2007) Consciousness, Reality and Value: Essays in

Honour of T. L. S. Sprigge (Frankfurt: Ontos Verlag)

Cohen, C. (1986) “The Case for the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research, “The New

England Journal of Medicine, 315, 865-870.

Frey, R. G. (1983) Rights, Killing and Suffering (Oxford: Blackwell)

Light, A. and Rolston, H. (eds) (2003) Environmental Ethics: An Anthology (Oxford:

 Blackwell)

Machan, T. (1991) “Do Animals Have Rights?” Public Affairs Quarterly, 5/2.

McHenry, L. (2007) “The Philosophical Idealism of Timothy Sprigge,” in Basile and

 McHenry.

Naess, A. (1973) “The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement: A

Summary,” Inquiry, 16 95-100.

Naess, A. (1980) “Environmental Ethics and Spinoza’s Ethics, Comments on Genevieve

Lloyd’s article,” Inquiry, 23, 313-25.

Singer, P. (1975) Animal Liberation (New York: Harper Collins)

Sprigge, T. L. S. (1979) “Metaphysics, Physicalism, and Animal Rights,” Inquiry 22, pp.

101-43.

Sprigge, T. L. S. (1982) “The Importance of Subjectivity: An Inaugural Lecture,” Inquiry

25, 143-163.

Sprigge, T. L. S. (1983) The Vindication of Absolute Idealism (Edinburgh University

 Press)

Sprigge, T. L. S. (1987) “Are there Intrinsic Values in Nature?” Journal of Applied

Philosophy 4, 21-28.

Strawson, G., et al. (2006) Consciousness and its Place in Nature. Does Physicalism

 entail Panpsychism? (Exeter: Imprint Academic)

Key Texts for Historical Background

Primary Texts

Descartes, R. (1988) Descartes: Selected Philosophical Writings, ed. by J. Cottingham,

R. Stoothoff and D. Murdoch (Cambridge University Press)

James, W. (1891) Principles of Psychology (New York: Macmillan)

James, W. (1912) Essays in Radical Empiricism (New York: Longman)

Kant, I. (1963) “Our Duties to Animals,” from Lectures on Ethics, trans. L. Infield

 (Methuen)

Kant, I (1946) Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Ethics (Longman, Green)

Spinoza, B. (1982) Baruch Spinoza: The Ethics and Selected Letters. Tr. S. Shirley, ed.,

S. Feldman (Indianapolis: Hackett)

Whitehead, A. N. (1938) Modes of Thought (New York: The Free Press)

Secondary Texts

Ford, M. P. (1982) William James’s Philosophy: A New Perspective (Amherst: Mass)

McHenry, L. (1992) Whitehead and Bradley: A Comparative Analysis (Albany: SUNY)

McHenry, L. (1995) “Panpsychism as the Subjectivity of Prehension,” Process Studies,

24, pp. 1-14.

Phemister, P. (2006) The Rationalists: Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz (Cambridge:

 Polity)

Additional General Bibliography

Journals: Environmental Ethics, Environmental Values: Ethics, Place and Environment, Ethics and the Environment

Please note that the main philosophical journal in environmental philosophy, Environmental Ethics, is not available electronically, but the library has copies of all issues.

Attfield, R. (1999) The Ethics of the Global Environment (Edinburgh University Press)

Attfield, R. (2003) Environmental Ethics: An Overview for the Twenty-First Century

(Cambridge: Polity)

Brennan. A. (1995) The Ethics of the Environment (Ashgate)

Chappel, T. D. (ed) (1997) The Philosophy of the Environment (University of Georgia

 Press)

Cobb, J. (2001) “Deep Ecology and Process Thought,” Process Studies, 30.1, pp. 112-31.

Cooper, D. and Palmer, J. (eds) The Environment in Question: Ethics and Global Issues

 (New York: Routledge)

Elliot, R. and Gare, A. (1983) Environmental Philosophy (Milton Keynes: Open

 University Press)

Elliot, R. (ed) (1995) Environmental Ethics (Oxford University Press)

Dombrowski, D. (1984) The Philosophy of Vegetarianism (Amherest: Massachusetts)

Dombrowski, D. (2007) “Nonhuman Animal Rights,” in Weber and Desmond (eds)

 Handbook of Whiteheadian Process Thought, Vol 1. (Frankfurt: Ontos Verlag)

Elliot, R., and Gare, A. (eds) (1983) Environmental Philosophy (St. Lucia: Queensland)

Hargrove, E. (1996) Foundations of Environmental Ethics (Englewood Cliffs:Prentice–

Hall)

Jamieson, D. (2007) Introduction to Environmental Philosophy (Blackwell)

Jamieson, D. (ed) (1999) Singer and His Critics (Blackwell)

Katz, E. Light, A., Rothenbert, D. (ed) (2000) Beneath the Surface: Critical Essays in the

 Philosophy of Deep Ecology (MIT)

Leipold, A. (1966) “The Land Ethic” in A Sand County Almanac (New York: Oxford)

Llewelyn, J. (2007) “Ecosophy, Sophophily and Philotheria,” in Basile and McHenry,

(eds) Consciousness, Reality and Value: Essays in Honour of T. L. S. Sprigge (Frankfurt: Ontos Verlag)

McHenry, L. (2002) “Timothy L. S. Sprigge (1932- ),” in Dematteis, Fosl and McHenry

(eds), British Philosophers, 1800-2000 in the series Dictionary of Literary Biography, Vol. 262, (Detroit: Gale)

O’Neill, J., Holland, A., Light, A (2008) Environmental Values (London: Routledge)

Palmer, C. (1998) Environmental Ethics and Process Thinking (Oxford: Clarendon)

Palmer, C. and Callicott, B (2004) Environmental Philosophy: Critical Concepts in the

 Environment (London: Routledge)

Passmore, J. (1974) Man’s Responsibility for Nature (Duckworth)

Pratt, V., Howarth, J., Brady, E. (2000) Philosophy and Environment (London:

 Routledge)

Rachels, J. (1977) “Vegetarianism and “the Other Weight Problem” in Aiken and

LaFollette, World Hunger and Moral Obligation (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall)

Regan, T. and Singer, P. (eds) (1974) Animal Rights and Human Obligations (Englewood

 Cliffs: Prentice-Hall)

Regan, T. (1982) All That Dwell Therein: Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics

 (University of California Press)

Regan, T. (1983) The Case for Animal Rights (Berkeley: California)

Regan, T. (1985) In Defense of Animals (Oxford: Blackwell)

Rolston, H. (1989) Philosophy Gone Wild: Environmental Ethics (Prometheus)

Rolston, H. (1994) Conserving Natural Value (New York: Columbia)

Sessions, G. (1995) Deep Ecology for the Twenty-first Century (Boston: Shambhala)

Sprigge, T. (1987) The Rational Foundation of Ethics (London: Routledge)

Sterba, J. (1994) Earth Ethics: Environmental Ethics, Animal Rights and Practical

 Applications (Prentice-Hall)

Weston, A. (ed) (1999) An Invitation to Environmental Philosophy (New York: Oxford)

Witoszek, N. and Brennan, A. (1999) Philosophical Dialogues: Arne Naess and the

 Development of Ecophilosophy (Rowman and Littlefield)

Whitehead, A. N. (1924) Science and the Modern World (Cambridge University Press)

Whitehead, A. N. (1929) Process and Reality (Cambridge University Press)

Zimmermann, M. et al. (2001) Environmental Philosophy: From Animal Rights to

 Radical Ecology (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall)