1.1 environmental ethics Flashcards
What is conservation and preservation?
the predominant secular view
- nature has only instrumental value = we need to protect it for future use
- the protection of natural resources and the environment from the dangers of climate change
What is deep ecology?
initiated by Arne Naess in 1972
- nature has intrinsic value regardless of its utility to human beings
Naess argued that we need to:
- radically decrease the population
- abandon all goals of economic growth
- conserve diversity of species
- live in small, self-reliant communities
- decrease our impact on the environment
What are some criticisms of deep ecology?
- it seems unrealistic
- Cornwall Alliance = it leads to pantheism
- Anthony Weston = the main solution should be technological solutions and ecological change + is critical of deep ecology’s focus on universal principles
What is ecoholism?
Gaia Hypothesisby James Lovelock = the Earth is a self-evolving and self-regulating living being
- humanity may be wiped out BUT life would still go on = gives us a moral imperative to value and respect the system as a whole
What are the Christian approaches to the environment?
- Stewardship
- Dominion
Where do the Christian approaches to the environment come from?
Genesis 1:26 = ‘let them have dominion over…all the Earth…’
What is dominion?
God created the world and has given it to humanity as a gift to use as we please = we have total control
How does dominion apply to the environment?
- Some evangelical denominations = the environmental crises are a sign of the last days so nothing should be done to stop it as the Earth is only temporary
- Cornwall Alliance = don’t have a call to support environmental movements
What is stewardship?
the idea that God gave humanity the task of looking after the Earth
How does stewardship apply to the environment?
CofE = God has entrusted us with the care of the world
Richard Bauckham = what God created was good so we have a responsibility to care for it
Catholic = just as God maintains the universe, humans have a duty to care + maintain God’s creation
St Francis of Assisi = care for all living beings to be close to nature is to be close to God
Evangelical = creation care - preventative activities
What are key secular views on animal ethics?
humans are objects of moral concern and can act as moral agents unlike animals; humans are more developed than animals therefore humans are more important
What does Peter Singer say about animal ethics?
animals have intrinsic value and to treat animals differently is speciesism
- humans are animals too and we don’t kill/eat/experiment on humans so the same should be done for animals
What is the Christian view on Animal ethics?
The Bible is very unclear:
dominion = we can use animals, Gen 1:26 - only humans have souls
stewardship = we have a duty of care, cruelty towards animals reflects a person’s behaviour
