ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS in Fall 2025 (PL2041)

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Introduction to ethics by the example of environmental ethics, exploring the role of humans as moral agents with regard to other living beings, the whole planet or its biosphere, and future generations. Through cases studies and to understand implicit assumptions and theoretical problems of standpoints taken by stakeholders in the debate.

Course Master: 
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS (PL2041)
Term: 
Fall 2025
Discipline: 
PL (Philosophy)
Credits: 
4 credits
Type: 
CCI
Level: 
Undergraduate
Can be taken twice for credit?: 
No
Pre-requisites: 
None
Co-requisites: 
None

Professor(s)

Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will have come to know the basics of modern environmental ethics (key figures, key theories, key issues and debates) and understand specific characteristics of environmental ethics (embedded in activism, i.e. justification tendency; ethics for non-humans and the concomitant question whether it has to be a completely new type of ethics, different from traditional ethics)
  2. They will learn to make sense of an original philosophy paper in environmental ethics
  3. They will become more aware of the ethical implications in current environmentalist discourse and decision making about environmental issues
  4. They will become able to participate in debates about the ethics of environmental issues and develop a well-considered concept of moral agency as persons whose choices and behavior have an impact on the natural environment they live in
  5. They will get to know different functions and sub-disciplines of ethics, such as inquiry, justification, critical analysis, meta-ethics
  6. They will be able to distinguish basic types of ethical issues, e.g. justice vs. the good life of the individual; deontology vs. utilitarianism and axiology; and also be able to distinguish ethical reasoning from both prudential and legal discourse (including religious law and the discourse of sin)
  7. They will develop their skills in making a consistent, well-organized, valid ethical argument, both orally and in writing
  8. They will learn how to analyze and assess ethical arguments presented by others, and to recognize theoretical and metaphysical assumptions implied in such arguments
  9. They will enhance their intercultural understanding of languages, cultures and the histories of local societies, and the global issues to which these relate (CCI LO1)
  10. They will think critically about cultural and social difference. They will identify and understand power structures that determine hierarchies and inequalities relating to race, ethnicity, gender, nationhood, religion or class (CCI LO3)
  11. They will demonstrate awareness of ethical considerations relating to specific societal problems, values or practices (whether historical or contemporary, global or local) and learn to articulate possible solutions to prominent challenges facing societies and institutions today so as to become an engaged actor across various levels of our interconnected world (CCI LO4)

Syllabus

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Schedule

Start Date: 
Monday, September 1, 2025
End Date: 
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
DayStart TimeEnd TimeRoom
Tuesday
09:00
10:20
G-L21
Friday
09:00
10:20
G-L21