Photo © 2007 Gary Varner — to view a large version of the above image, click here.

Welcome to PHIL 314, Environmental Ethics

MW 4:10-5:25, Spring 2008, with Gary Varner in 222 CE

Note: You will need an ID and a password to retrieve most of the materials linked below. That's because these are copyrighted materials. As a registered student in the class, the fair use doctrine entitles you to download a copy for your own use in the course, but it may be illegal for you to distribute the files or in any other way reproduce them. If you're a student in the class, I will give you an ID and a password to use.

Readings and handouts (by week number)

  1. Syllabus.
    Handout: Sample multiple choice questions.
    Handout: Some basic terminology in ethical theory.
    Gary Varner, "Ethics and the Environment."

  2. Lynn White, Jr., "The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis."
    Questions to answer on White's essay.
    The "validity" v. "soundness" distinction.

  3. Peter Singer, "All Animals Are Equal."
    Questions to answer on Singer's essay.
    Summary statement of Singer's argument.
    Comparisons relevant to consciousness of pain in non-human animals.
    Handout on "Tom Regan’s ‘the rights view’."

  4. Gary Varner, "Biocentric Individualism."
    Questions to answer on the essay.

  5. J. Baird Callicott, "Animal Liberation: A Triangular Affair."
    Questions to answer on Callicott's essay.

  6. Aldo Leopold, "Thinking Like a Mountain" and "The Land Ethic."
    Questions to answer on Leopold.
    Handout on Leopold's life.
    Accretions picture.

  7. Elliott Sober, "Philosophical Problems for Environmentalism."
    Questions to answer on Sober's essay.
Spring break

    Topics for the first essay assignment, due Monday, March 24.

  1. Lilly-Marlene Russow, "Why Do Species Matter?"
    Questions to answer on Russow's essay.

  2. Gary Varner, "Can Animal Rights Activists Be Environmentalists?"
    Handout on this essay.

  3. Christopher D. Stone, "Should Trees Have Standing? Toward Legal Rights for Natural Objects"
    Questions to answer on Stone's essay.

  4. Gary Varner, "Environmental Law and the Eclipse of Land as Private Property."
    Questions to answer on this essay.
    Handout on the takings issue.

  5. Mark Sagoff, "At the Shrine of Our Lady of Fàtima or Why Political Questions are not All Economic."
    Questions to answer on Sagoff's essay.
    Executive Order #12,291 (see § 2 and § 3(d))

  6. Starker Leopold et al, ”Study of Wildlife Problems in National Parks.”
    Questions to answer on "The Leopold Report."
    NPS v. USFS & BLM.

    Ramachandra Guha, "Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A Third World Critique.”
    Questions to answer on Guha's essay.
    Some "deep-ecology" related stuff

    Topics for the second essay assignment, due at the beginning of the final exam.

Other resources

  1. To subscribe to the class email list (ENVIROETHICS@listserv.tamu.edu), go here:
    2. http://listserv.tamu.edu/archives/enviroethics.html and click on "Join or leave the list (or change settings)."

  2. To calculate your grade in the course you can retrieve an Excel spreadsheet by clicking here.

  3. You should be familiar with the provisions of the TAMU Student Rules, especially those dealing with the following: If you need guidance on what counts as plagiarism, first work through this on-line exercise: http://philosophy.tamu.edu/~gary/intro/plagiarism.index.html, then ask your professor if you have any questions.

  4. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a top-notch reference work on philosophy.
  5. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy is also pretty good.
  6. And The International Society for Environmental Ethics maintains a searchable database of publications on the subject.

  7. You might be interested in attending some of the Philosophy Department's public talks or colloquia.