Environmental Ethics Flashcards
What is environmental ethics?
Considers the ethical relationship between people and the natural world and the kind of decisions people have to make about the environment.
Why is it especially important in modern times?
The effect of global warming. There has been a rapid growth in knowledge and technology. Action has to be taken, but there is no agreed ethics for environmental issues or a common code.
What is the traditional western approach?
An anthropocentric approach, human focussed.
What is conservatism?
Shallow ecology, the theory that the environment’s importance is related to its usefulness for humanity ( Christianity.)
What is instrumental value?
The belief that something is valuable because of its importance to something else e.g.g we need food.
What does it mean to be anthropocentric?
The belief that humanity is central and most important.
What is intrinsic value?
The belief that something is valuable is itself.
What does it mean to be bio centric?
The biological nature of and diversity of the earth is of supreme importance.
Christian approaches to the environment: What is dominion?
Means to rule over, subdue and have authority over. The idea that humans see themselves as the centre of the universe not a component of nature but above it.
Who supported dominion?
Aristotle: “ Since nature makes nothing purposeless or in vain, it is undeniably true that she has made all animals for the sake of man.”
Who developed this?
Aquinas continued this idea that humans are the only morally important being s on earth ‘ all humans are naturally subject to man. Suggests humans can do as the please as the Bible states nature is the inanimate creation of God, so they think God has a special concern for humans.
What Bible evidence is there of dominion?
Genesis 1: God made humans “ in his image” and “likeness” implying higher power over nature. Genesis 1:28: God told humans to “reign over the fish in the sea the birds in the sky and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Leading to the interpretation that creation is for humans and they have the right to exploit the environment.
What is a strength of this?
Plausible to believe as the chapter in Genesis suggest humans are above nature, use of words like “reign”, “rule” and “dominion.”
What are the weaknesses?
Possibly a misinterpretation as seems unlikely an all lovign God would desire us to value ourselves above creation. Lyn White: The historical roots of our ecological crisis suggests the current environmental disaster is down to the Christian command to have ‘dominion’ over the earth.
People have moved from nature centred religions to dominion over nature,. The ecological crisis will be resolved when we reject this.
The Bible teaches respect.
St Francis of Assisi disputed, as thought nature was significant as God communicates to use through the natural worlds, which reflects God’s goodness and inspires us to respect and love. It is a sin to take the do minion approach and manipulate nature to our advantage.
What is the fall?
Genesis 3: The serpent said to the woman “ you will not certainly die”. “For god knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil.” Eve ate, the fruit from the tree of knowledge despite God telling her not to and she gave some to Adam who ate it. Their eyes were opened and they realised they were naked.
What do Christians believe after the fall?
We need to use our knowledge to rectify and re establish our bond between God and humanity, and God and the natural world, We need to protect out environment and using past mistakes as learning tools to correct our mistakes where possible, Ensuring western lifestyles don’t impinge on poorer nations lives.
What will happen if we care for the environment properly?
We can avoid needless exploitation, for our own gain it will help us to obtain peace, harmony and justice. We should ultimately live by the rules, love of God and love of one’s neighbour, fundamental in Christian Ethics and applying to the environment.
What has this original sin caused?
Environmental problems of the earth drying up and withering. We need to re-establish the broken bond between God and the natural world to achieve a peaceful and harmonious world.
What are the strengths of this theory?
Explain why we have environmental problems.
Gives us a way to solve the problems we are faced with.
Logical if we help to improve our environmental the world will become more peaceful.
What are the weaknesses of this theory?
For it to be plausible you have to believe in God and that the Bible is literally true.
Makes a leap form original sin to environment when they aren’t clearly linked.
Stems form Adam and Eve no empirical evidence to prove original sin.
What does rapture and end time theology think about the environment?
Concern is irrelevant and destruction is welcomed and should be helped.
The environment is not significant and humans are the greatest species. We should destroy nature to speed up the apocalypse.
What did Pastor John Hagee think?
Environmental issues display: “ all over the earth, graves will explode as the occupants ( believers) soar into heaven.” Non believers left on earth for 7 years of suffering after this Christians come back and fight anti Christ in the battle of armageddon, re green the earth.
Who usually takes this view?
Mainly shared by born again Christians e.g. Jimmy Carter.
What are the strengths of this theory?
Hal Lindsay - the late great planet earth 1970. Rapture imminent based on world conditions. Aspects of 1970s politics predicted in the Bible e.g. cold war, EU in 1970s 10 nations but no 27 involved!
Predictions of rapture date back to theologians like St Augustine.
What are the weaknesses of this theory?
Many failed predictions e.g. 2011.
Eastern orthodox, Roman catholic and many protestants reject it.
Scientists believe it will be a very long time 5 billion years until earth is destroyed when the sun dies.
What is the creation story?
God created the earth in 7 days, humans on 6th day, day of rest.
If God values creation an creation can respond to God suggestion all creation has intrinsic value.
We are given dominion over all creation : “ let them have dominion over the fish in the sea.”
Backs up Singer’s anthropomorphism in biblical texts.
How can it be interpreted in different ways?
Humans made in the image of God appreciate intrinsic value of natural world.
St Francis of Assisi view ( form earlier.)
Not plausible to atheists who don’t believe in God.
Creation may show why Christians should respect nature and treat the rest of God’s creation equally.
What is the view of stewardship?
Responsible planning and management of resources can be applied to the environment and nature, having responsibility to look after God’s created world.
What biblical evidence is there?
Genesis 1: Exploitation as man “ in his image” dominion, but should this mean rule over and who we should do as we please. Some think it means we should have responsibility to care for the world as it belongs to God.
Genesis 2: Puts man in the Garden of Eden to “work it and take care of it.” Stewards.
What is the central concept?
Humans are the peak of God’s creation but only is as much as we are creature who God has selected to regulate the response of the natural world to its creator.
What 2 roles to humans have?
To conserve and care for creation e..g supporting projects that prevent deforestation of biodiverse areas with high levels of endemic species.
To act as the director of nature’s obedience to God.
What are the strengths of this/
Some philosophers criticise the trad Christian idea for placing humans at the moral centre Lyn White: the historical roots of our ecological crisis.
Humans are stewards responsible to God for their use of God’s creation. Peter 4:10 “ as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as stewards of God’s varied grace.”
