Environmental Ethics Flashcards
What does environment mean?
The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives; the natural world.
What does pollution mean?
Something that contaminates the environment and has a harmful effect.
What does creation in Christianity mean?
The belief that the Earth was deliberately created by God.
What does dominion mean?
Control over or responsibility for the earth.
What does stewardship mean?
Looking after something so that it can be passed on to the next generation.
What are some examples of how humans use animals?
• Food (meat, eggs, milk
• Clothing (leather, fur, wool)
• Experimentation (medical, cosmetics)
• Hunting
• Entertainment (circuses, horse racing)
• Pets
What are some Biblical teachings that support stewardship?
• God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)
• God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)
• The Lord God took the man [Adam] and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. (Genesis 2:15)
Why do some Christians think animals are less important than humans?
• God had created animals for the use of human beings and human beings are therefore entitled to use them in any way they want.
• Animals are inferior to human beings because humans have souls and animals don’t, and humans have reason and animals don’t.
Why do some Christians think we should take animals under our moral consideration?
• Humans and non-human animals were both created by God.
• God has the right to have everything he created treated respectfully - wronging animals is wronging God.
• The example of a loving creator God should lead human beings to act lovingly towards animals.
• In the Garden of Eden human beings lived in peace and harmony with animals, and this represents God’s ideal world.
• Inflicting pain on any living creature is incompatible with living how Jesus taught us.
What does being a utilitarian mean?
It means someone that makes choices depending on what will produce the greatest good for the greatest number. Many utilitarians believe that we should take animals into moral consideration because they can feel pleasure and pain.
What is a statement regarding environmental ethics from Jeremy Bentham?
‘The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?’
What does vegetarian mean?
A person that does not eat meat or fish.
What does a vegan mean?
A person that does not use any animal products (i.e. does not eat, meat, fish, dairy or eggs, and does not wear clothes that come from animal products e.g. those made from leather or wool).
What does animal rights mean?
The belief that animals have the right to live free from human exploitation and abuse.
What are some arguments for becoming a vegetarian/vegan?
• Animals are capable of suffering /feeling pain.
• It is wrong to kill animals for food when we don’t need to.
• We can meet all our nutritional requirements from plants.
• Meat production is very damaging to the environment.
What are some arguments against for becoming a vegetarian/vegan?
• Humans are more important than animals.
• There are humane ways of raising and killing animals (e.g. free range).
• Humans have evolved to eat meat.
• Meat/dairy can be produced sustainably.
• God allowed humans to eat animals/animals were created for human use.
What are two examples that global warming (climate change) may have harmful effects?
• It changes habitats threatening different animal species.
• It causes sea levels to rise.
