Climate change and you: consequences, intentions and consistency. Climate change is a many-sided problem. It s a scientific problem, because what
|
|
- Erika Phelps
- 5 years ago
- Views:
Transcription
1 Climate change and you: consequences, intentions and consistency Climate change is a many-sided problem. It s a scientific problem, because what we do about it depends on empirical discoveries about the way our climate works. It s an economic problem as well, because what we do about it depends quite a bit on what various sorts of action might cost. It s also a political problem, because what we end up doing depends on how political power flows around our world. You can think about psychology, sociology, the law and other sorts of things which might figure into our decisions too. Quite a lot will have a bearing on what we do about climate change, but I want to focus on the moral side of things. Climate change is a moral problem because what we decide to do about it depends on questions about the nature of value as such. What matters more to us: enjoying present happiness or avoiding future suffering? Do ecosystems matter more than human happiness? Is it wrong to let a species go extinct? Should fairness figure into our action on climate change? Should causal responsibility for damage to the climate make a moral difference to the demand for action? Ought the rich help the poor adapt to climate change? Are we responsible for the environmental sins of our parents and grandparents? Is it morally acceptable to hope for a technological quick-fix? What s the right way to think about the risk to future people against the backdrop of scientific uncertainty? Is civil disobedience the right response to a government s failure to act on climate change? Are sanctions warranted against the world s biggest polluters? You cannot find answers 1
2 to these sorts of questions in ice cores, cost/benefit analyses, political treaties, Rorschach tests, opinion polls or law books. You have to think your way through them. You have to do a bit of moral philosophy. i I use the word you advisedly in that paragraph and throughout this paper to emphasise the fact that climate change presents us with a moral problem, us individuals who are alive right here and right now. You can read about most practical moral problems with a steady heartbeat, knowing all the while that the problems aren t really your own. You can study cloning, abortion, euthanasia, genetic modification, just wars, and on and on, secure in the hope that you might well saunter through your life untouched by the moral problems raised by such things. Maybe no one will clone you. With luck you won t have to decide to invade a neighbouring country. But climate change is a moral problem for you, right now. You are enmeshed in a fossil-fuel burning world, and just about every choice you make in your everyday life depends on the use of energy. The energy you use puts more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, which thickens a layer of such gasses, which warms our world up. The warmer our world becomes, the more suffering we are in for, suffering caused by more heat, more extremes of weather, crop failure, water stress, the spread of disease, and on and on. ii It can seem difficult to make it through breakfast without the danger of a moral mistake. 2
3 So what s the right way to begin thinking about the moral dimension of climate change and the choices you make every day? Philosophers have a long history of working through moral problems, like the ones just scouted and other, more oldfashioned dilemmas. The task of the moral philosopher is to find a way through to an answer, or at least a good guess. Usually the answer is somehow grounded in one of just a few normative ethical theories. We don t have the room to consider all of the views out there, so think about the two dominant ones: Utilitarianism and Kantianism. To remind you, Utilitarianism is the view that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined entirely by its consequences. Compared to other possibilities, if an action s consequences increase human happiness, maximize the overall balance of pleasure over pain, perhaps satisfy the most preferences, then choosing that action is the right thing to do. If, for example, you are thinking about telling a lie or telling the truth, think about the consequences for everyone involved and take the action which results in the greater overall balance of happiness. Utilitarianism is certainly promising when it comes to reflection on climate change. Peter Singer argues that a number of principles operative in clear thinking about climate change generally might be justified on utilitarian grounds. iii The polluter pays principle, which is starting to get press outside of environmental circles, holds that if anyone covers the cost of adapting to or mitigating environmental degradation, it s the person or corporation or state which is causally responsible for the damage. Such a principle might be endorsed by a utilitarian who notes that it sets up a strong incentive to 3
4 be careful about causing pollution or doing damage to the environment, as well as a demand for fixing damage already caused no doubt to the overall benefit of everyone. A utilitarian might also see the wisdom of actions which greatly favour the worst off. The pressure should be on the rich, a utilitarian might think, to offer help to the poor when it comes to adapting to climate changes or footing the bill for reducing global emissions. If a person already has considerable wealth, then giving her more does not affect her happiness much. Helping the poor even a little more might be a boon, might do a lot to make a life better. Certainly if sacrifices have to be made, there s less pain attached to the rich cutting back than the poor tightening belts even further. Just given this start on utilitarian reflection, you can come around to the thought that a concern with consequences issues in the conclusion that the rich countries of the world should do something about the environmental damage they have done, perhaps pay a lot to mitigate climate change. Further, at least a part of their action should be directed towards helping the poor of the world adapt to climate change. There s some guidance in Kantian reflection too. A Kantian might be persuaded by the thought that any action described by an environmentally unsustainable maxim, whatever that action might be, almost has to fail to pass muster. Recall that, for Kant, actions are undertaken under maxims or rules, such as don t steal or when I think I need some money, I will borrow it and promise to repay it, though I know I never can do so, or never lie. Kant s test for such maxims is universalizability. Suppose the maxim 4
5 under consideration were to become a universal law, a maxim adopted automatically by everybody. Would a world with that law be consistent or self-contradictory? If the former, you are in no danger of doing the wrong thing, but if the latter, you are in violation of the moral law. So, for example, if everybody made false promises, no one would believe a promise, so promising itself would be impossible. A world built on false promises ends up undermining itself, turning into a world with out any kind of promisemaking at all. Pick an unsustainable maxim: consume as much as you can, or don t conserve finite resources, or use a disproportionate share of a finite good. It doesn t take much to see that these maxims cannot be universalized. If everyone consumed as much as they could, there would be nothing much left to consume. Consumption on a certain scale undermines consumption itself. If resources weren t conserved, there d be no resources to use. Finally, not everyone can use a disproportionate share of a finite good only proportional uses are possible for everyone. The very fact that the maxims are themselves part of an unsustainable order means that they could never be universal laws, never part of consistent worlds, never in keeping with the moral law. Kantian reflection looks fruitful, looks like the sort of thing which really might help a person think through the choices she might make in the face of climate change. This thumbnail sketch can certainly get you going when it comes to thinking your way through the moral dimension of climate change, but you might have already noticed a certain sort of divergence between the two dominant moral views. Kantian reflection 5
6 seems almost ideally suited to local thinking about the moral dimension of climate change, while Utilitarianism seems to operate optimally when coming to global conclusions about what s best for us all. Maybe this should have been unsurprising, since the first utilitarians had an interest in securing social benefits for the greatest number of people, adding a little rationality to the legal system. Perhaps Kant s narrow focus has something to do not just with his famous failure to travel, but also his interest in the good will and an individual s duty to the moral law. If your view is that the consequences for the greatest number matter, then your moral outlook is wide indeed. If your view is that an individual s intentions alone are morally relevant, then probably your focus is as narrow as it gets. Small wonder, then, that Kant helps us think through our individual choices and utilitarianism helps us think about what s best for us all. As I said at the start, climate change is a moral problem for every one of us, right here and right now. If we are looking for advice, for help with thinking our way through individual choices and everyday actions, then Kant seems obviously relevant. The Kantian route is well-lit and easy to follow, but what do you do if you are a consequentialist? Do you recycle that coffee cup lid or not? Will you rack up frequent flyer miles? Should you turn the heating down and put on more clothes? Will you consume without regard for the future? Will you donate some time to green charities? Maybe a Kantian 6
7 can find grounds for green answers to every one of these questions only sustainable actions can be supported by universalizable maxims but if you are a utilitarian, what s the right way to think about climate change and individual actions? Here s the rub for the utilitarian: an individual s actions are probably as good as inconsequential when it comes to the future of our planet s climate system. The sea level will be where it will be in 2050, whether an individual chooses to recycle or not. The ice will melt whether or not I choose to fly a great deal. Coral will bleach whether or not I turn down my thermostat. If consequences are all that matter to the rightness or wrongness of an action, and an individual s actions are more or less inconsequential when it comes to the planet, then it looks like a utilitarian has no reason to be green. It makes no difference to the climate what an individual does. So feel free to drive an SUV. Consume as much as you like. Don t bother with the recycling. There are some obvious and not so obvious replies to this kind of thinking, but I d like to conclude with a consideration of a response rooted in consistency. Consistency is at the heart of reflection on moral matters. At bottom, consistency in our moral thinking amounts to the view that if someone in such and such a situation deserves a certain sort of treatment, then others in that situation deserve the same treatment too. If times are tough for me, and I think you ought to share what you ve got, then I should feel a moral nudge towards sharing out what I have when things are going well for me. If I think we ought to punish wrong-doers, I don t have room to complain when I m found guilty and punished. Consistency is built into our thinking about both 7
8 punishment and the moral demand for helping those in need. It s also why the thought that we ought to do unto others as we would have them do unto us strikes a chord with just about everyone. It s why a utilitarian thinks that everyone s pleasures and pains ought to figure into our calculations, not just her own or her mother s. It s why a Kantian universalizes maxims. It s part of what makes moral debates something more than expressions of emotion. Maybe, and I know this is a stretch, it s why we know that we have to live by our principles, perhaps die by them too. Consistency also might provide the utilitarian with a reason for favouring individually green choices. It s a round-about argument, but I think it still counts. It goes like this. A consequentialist can, rightly, denounce the world s biggest polluters on various consequentialist grounds. The US, for example, with just 5% of the world s population, is responsible for around 25% of the planet s greenhouse gas emissions. iv The developed world is causing the largest amount of damage, certainly an enormous amount of harm depends on what the developed world has done and continues to do. If you think causal responsibility is tied to moral responsibility for action if you think that breaking something we all need puts the onus on the breaker to pay for the fixing then probably you think that the biggest polluters have the largest moral obligation to do something about climate change. v A consequentialist can certainly see that the US and other countries are doing a lot of damage to the climate and that this damage will cause human suffering. There are numerous consequentialist reasons for thinking that such countries ought to change the way they use energy, ought to minimize their carbon- 8
9 footprints, ought to help the poor of the world to adapt to the changes already underway in short, the biggest polluters ought to take meaningful action on climate change. There are some principles operative in those thoughts, and if you apply them to your own life, you might be drawn to a worrying conclusion. If you are consistent in your thinking, you might notice that your denunciation of the world s biggest polluters depends on those countries doing nothing despite being responsible for a lot of greenhouse gas emissions compared with other countries in the world. It might be that the premises and principles operative in your thinking about the world s biggest polluters apply to you too. It might be that you ought to take strong action on climate change, and that you are doing wrong if you do nothing. Don t take that personally if it stops you taking it seriously. It s not just you, but me and everyone else living lives of high-energy consumption. If, for example, the US is wrong to do nothing about climate change despite being responsible for the most emissions per country, then maybe consistency demands that we think of ourselves as wrong to do nothing about climate change, despite being responsible for the most emissions per capita. People who live in the US, Canada or Australia are responsible for about 20 metric tons of carbon dioxide on average each year. People in many EU countries, like Denmark, the UK and Germany, emit about 10 metric tons on average. The people in other EU countries are typically responsible for a bit more or a bit less than this, with those industrializing late or just making the transition to a market economy responsible for around 5 metric tons on average. 9
10 Residents of more than half of the countries on our planet emit less than 5 metric tons on average. Residents of more than a third of the countries on the planet are responsible for less than even a single metric ton each year. Many human beings are responsible for no measurable emissions at all. Compared to most people on the planet, the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from our individual lives are massive. You might be doing 20 times as much damage to the planet as many other people in the world. Think again about consistency. If you are a utilitarian with good consequentialist grounds for thinking that the US ought to take strong action on climate change, then maybe consistency demands that the everyday choices in your life must be much more green. Probably you ought to take serious action to reduce your carbon-footprint. You have to recycle that coffee cup lid. You should not fly. Maybe you should cut back a lot, turn down the thermostat, give money to green charities, devote some time to lobbying your government and your representatives, and on and on. Maybe your life ought to change a lot. In the end it s best to leave most of the real thinking to you. It s your problem, after all. What you have here is just the start of a sketch, just a way into thinking about climate change and the choices you make everyday. I hope it s easy enough to see that both Kantian and Utilitarian reflection are fruitful in this connection. Perhaps you have enough to make a real start on your own conclusions when it comes to consequences, intentions, and climate change. 10
11 James Garvey The Royal Institute of Philosophy i You can find a number of answers to such questions in J. Garvey, The Ethics of Climate Change, London: Continuum, 2008, as well as a bibliography to get you going in other directions. ii For a good introduction to the science of climate change, see J. Houghton, Global Warming: The Complete Briefing, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, For an up-to-date take on the science as well as the prospects of our planet, see the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change s various summaries for policy-makers, available for free at iii P. Singer, One World, London: Yale University Press, pp iv Have a look at for the numbers. The numbers in the paragraphs which follow come from this site. v See Singer s discussion on pp in One World. 11
It isn t easy to feel up to reflection on climate change. It can seem that you are
Introduction It isn t easy to feel up to reflection on climate change. It can seem that you are unequal to it, and you can find yourself overwhelmed very quickly. Thinking about climate change is, partly,
More informationClimate change and moral outrage. By many accounts, the decisions made by our generation will have profound
Climate change and moral outrage By many accounts, the decisions made by our generation will have profound consequences for the future of our planet and those who come after us. 1 Yet we have done and
More informationIs It Morally Wrong to Have Children?
Is It Morally Wrong to Have Children? 1. The Argument: Thomas Young begins by noting that mainstream environmentalists typically believe that the following 2 claims are true: (1) Needless waste and resource
More informationb602 revision guide GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES
b602 revision guide GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES How to answer the questions Table of Contents Religion and Science Christianity Good and Evil Christianity What does science teach about the origins of the world
More informationHappiness and the Economy
Happiness and the Economy The Ideas of Buddhist Economics edited by Laszlo Zsolnai Typotex Budapest 2010 Preface 1 Deep Ecology and Buddhism (Knut J. Ims and Laszlo Zsolnai) 2 The "Middle Way" for Market
More informationChapter 3 PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS AND BUSINESS CHAPTER OBJECTIVES. After exploring this chapter, you will be able to:
Chapter 3 PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS AND BUSINESS MGT604 CHAPTER OBJECTIVES After exploring this chapter, you will be able to: 1. Explain the ethical framework of utilitarianism. 2. Describe how utilitarian
More informationAN OUTLINE OF CRITICAL THINKING
AN OUTLINE OF CRITICAL THINKING LEVELS OF INQUIRY 1. Information: correct understanding of basic information. 2. Understanding basic ideas: correct understanding of the basic meaning of key ideas. 3. Probing:
More information6. The most important thing about climate change
6. The most important thing about climate change John Broome Ethics and climate change The title of this volume Public Policy: Why ethics matters is highly significant. Among the protagonists in the debate
More informationExcerpts from Laudato Si
Excerpts from Laudato Si This document highlights elements of Laudato Si, or Praised Be, Pope Francis s encyclical letter on ecology. Citations are included for your reference. Respond to Pope Francis
More informationA CONSEQUENTIALIST RESPONSE TO THE DEMANDINGNESS OBJECTION Nicholas R. Baker, Lee University THE DEMANDS OF ACT CONSEQUENTIALISM
1 A CONSEQUENTIALIST RESPONSE TO THE DEMANDINGNESS OBJECTION Nicholas R. Baker, Lee University INTRODUCTION We usually believe that morality has limits; that is, that there is some limit to what morality
More informationNotes on Moore and Parker, Chapter 12: Moral, Legal and Aesthetic Reasoning
Notes on Moore and Parker, Chapter 12: Moral, Legal and Aesthetic Reasoning The final chapter of Moore and Parker s text is devoted to how we might apply critical reasoning in certain philosophical contexts.
More informationAgainst Individual Responsibility (Sinnott-Armstrong)
Against Individual Responsibility (Sinnott-Armstrong) 1. Individual Responsibility: Sinnott-Armstrong admits that climate change is a problem, and that governments probably have an obligation to do something
More informationKnowledge Organiser: Religion and Life
Knowledge Organiser: Religion and Life Type of Truth Definition Example Historical Truth Religious Truth Scientific Truth The Big Bang Theory: Break the theory down into 4 key points: Evidence for the
More informationThe Discount Rate of Well-Being
The Discount Rate of Well-Being 1. The Discount Rate of Future Well-Being: Acting to mitigate climate change clearly means making sacrifices NOW in order to make people in the FUTURE better off. But, how
More informationAgain, the reproductive context has received a lot more attention than the context of the environment and climate change to which I now turn.
The ethical issues concerning climate change are very often framed in terms of harm: so people say that our acts (and omissions) affect the environment in ways that will cause severe harm to future generations,
More informationDo we have responsibilities to future generations? Chris Groves
Do we have responsibilities to future generations? Chris Groves Presented at Philosophy Café, The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff 15 July 2008 A. Introduction Aristotle proposed over two
More informationEthics and Poverty. By Peter Singer
Ethics and Poverty By Peter Singer The argument for an obligation to assist Suppose that on your way to have lunch with a friend you pass a shallow ornamental pond, and notice that a small child has fallen
More informationMaking Decisions on Behalf of Others: Who or What Do I Select as a Guide? A Dilemma: - My boss. - The shareholders. - Other stakeholders
Making Decisions on Behalf of Others: Who or What Do I Select as a Guide? - My boss - The shareholders - Other stakeholders - Basic principles about conduct and its impacts - What is good for me - What
More informationQ2) The test of an ethical argument lies in the fact that others need to be able to follow it and come to the same result.
QUIZ 1 ETHICAL ISSUES IN MEDIA, BUSINESS AND SOCIETY WHAT IS ETHICS? Business ethics deals with values, facts, and arguments. Q2) The test of an ethical argument lies in the fact that others need to be
More informationClimate Justice: changing facts
Climate Justice: changing facts The line I m going to push on you tonight is this: the moral dimension of climate change is shifting sliding around right now, under our feet because our understanding of
More informationCould the reward of goodness be anything but goodness? (55:60) Do what is beautiful, as God has done what is beautiful to you.
Global Warming By Metwalli B. Amer, Ph.D Professor Emeritus at California State University, Sacramento Founder and Executive Director of Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims Global warming is known
More informationConfucius, Keynes and Christ
Confucius, Keynes and Christ The role and opportunity for ethics and ethical systems as a driver for climate-friendly behavior change Max Wei 11/14/12 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cumulative emissions are
More informationFFA2019 Opening Speech Next generation
FFA2019 Opening Speech Next generation Janez Potočnik, Chairman Ladies and gentlemen, It is good to see you again and welcome to the 12 th Forum for the Future of Agriculture. It is my great pleasure to
More informationPhilosophy Courses Fall 2016
Philosophy Courses Fall 2016 All 100 and 200-level philosophy courses satisfy the Humanities requirement -- except 120, 198, and 298. We offer both a major and a minor in philosophy plus a concentration
More informationState of the Planet 2010 Beijing Discussion Transcript* Topic: Climate Change
State of the Planet 2010 Beijing Discussion Transcript* Topic: Climate Change Participants: Co-Moderators: Xiao Geng Director, Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy; Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
More informationPOPULATION ETHICS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE July , University of Bayreuth. Overview
POPULATION ETHICS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE July 14-16 2017, University of Bayreuth Overview Population ethics is the part of moral theory that deals with acts that can affect the identity and the number
More informationTrinity College Cambridge 24 May 2015 CHRISTIANITY AND GLOBAL WARMING. Job 38: 1 3, Colossians 1: Hilary Marlow
Trinity College Cambridge 24 May 2015 CHRISTIANITY AND GLOBAL WARMING Job 38: 1 3, 25 38 Colossians 1:12 20 Hilary Marlow Introduction Global climate change is unequivocal and unprecedented according to
More informationFrom the Spring 2008 NES APS Newsletter
Please Note: These remarks should not be construed as representing any official position of the Executive Board of the New England Section of the American Physical Society. [Clickable links contained in
More informationPhilosophical Ethics. The nature of ethical analysis. Discussion based on Johnson, Computer Ethics, Chapter 2.
Philosophical Ethics The nature of ethical analysis Discussion based on Johnson, Computer Ethics, Chapter 2. How to resolve ethical issues? censorship abortion affirmative action How do we defend our moral
More informationThe form of relativism that says that whether an agent s actions are right or wrong depends on the moral principles accepted in her own society.
Glossary of Terms: Act-consequentialism Actual Duty Actual Value Agency Condition Agent Relativism Amoralist Appraisal Relativism A form of direct consequentialism according to which the rightness and
More informationAUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE Bishops Commission for Justice, Ecology and Development
AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE Bishops Commission for Justice, Ecology and Development Encyclical Letter Laudato Si 18 June 2015 Briefing document Australian context Key themes 1. Climate change
More informationSenator Fielding on ABC TV "Is Global Warming a Myth?"
Senator Fielding on ABC TV "Is Global Warming a Myth?" Australian Broadcasting Corporation Broadcast: 14/06/2009 Reporter: Barrie Cassidy Family First Senator, Stephen Fielding, joins Insiders to discuss
More informationDavid Ethics Bites is a series of interviews on applied ethics, produced in association with The Open University.
Ethics Bites What s Wrong With Killing? David Edmonds This is Ethics Bites, with me David Edmonds. Warburton And me Warburton. David Ethics Bites is a series of interviews on applied ethics, produced in
More informationTED HONDERICH, AFTER THE TERROR. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2002, Pp. vii A Review by Lansana Keita
QUEST: An African Journal of Philosophy / Revue Africaine de Philosophie XVII: 157-162 TED HONDERICH, AFTER THE TERROR Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2002, Pp. vii + 160 A Review by Lansana Keita
More informationEnvironmental Policy for the United Reformed Church
Environmental Policy for the United Reformed Church 1 Purpose 1.1 This policy is an agreed, documented statement of the United Reformed Church s stance towards the environment in which it operates. 1.2
More informationINTRODUCTION ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS TERESA KWIATKOWSKA
INTRODUCTION ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS TERESA KWIATKOWSKA...it is possible to perform noble deeds even without being ruler of land and see: one can do virtuous acts with quite moderate
More informationMoral Philosophy : Utilitarianism
Moral Philosophy : Utilitarianism Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a moral theory that was developed by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). It is a teleological or consequentialist
More informationThe Two Worlds. Ontario Fall Gathering
The Two Worlds Ontario Fall Gathering Encouragement in Kingdom Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
More informationCelebrate Life: Care for Creation
Celebrate Life: Care for Creation The Alberta bishops' letter on ecology for October 4, 1998 Last year, in our Easter message, we spoke of the necessity of choosing life in a society where too often human
More informationAppendix 4 Coding sheet
Appendix 4 Coding sheet We are only looking at online versions of the media organisations, not print. The search words should be global warming or climate change and Paris or UN summit. If a story or content
More informationMr Secretary of State, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,
1/10 "Our Ocean" U.S. Department of State Conference Washington, 16 th June 2014 Address of H.S.H. the Prince Mr Secretary of State, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,
More informationEDUCO2CEAN Teachers Training Course in Poland Katowice - November 2017
STS Education models to transmit to society the challenge of global change in the ocean November 6 th EDUCO2CEAN Teachers Training Course in Poland Katowice - November 2017 9.00 13.00: Opening lectures:
More informationChapter 2 Reasoning about Ethics
Chapter 2 Reasoning about Ethics TRUE/FALSE 1. The statement "nearly all Americans believe that individual liberty should be respected" is a normative claim. F This is a statement about people's beliefs;
More informationExplore the Christian rationale for environmental ethics and assess its strengths and weaknesses.
Explore the Christian rationale for environmental ethics and assess its strengths and weaknesses. The current environmental crises facing the earth today are well known and frequently reported on and written
More informationSCIENTIFIC THEORIES ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE WORLD AND HUMANITY
SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE WORLD AND HUMANITY Key ideas: Cosmology is about the origins of the universe which most scientists believe is caused by the Big Bang. Evolution concerns the
More informationEthical Principles and Economic Transformation. A Buddhist Approach. Laszlo Zsolnai
Ethical Principles and Economic Transformation A Buddhist Approach edited by Laszlo Zsolnai Springer 2011 Preface Inroduction Laszlo Zsolnai: Why Buddhist Economics? Part 1 Buddhist Ethics Applied to Economics
More informationA SERVICE TO INTRODUCE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PURPOSES OF GOD
A SERVICE TO INTRODUCE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PURPOSES OF GOD A simple service (or part of a service) to pray for the effectiveness of Climate change and the purposes of God in enabling the Church to speak
More informationRAINFORESTS: RESOURCES FOR LIFE. 5 June 2012 World Environment Day. A Day of Prayer. Sponsored by The Carmelite NGO. carmelitengo.
5 June 2012 World Environment Day RAINFORESTS: RESOURCES FOR LIFE A Day of Prayer Sponsored by The Carmelite NGO carmelitengo.org Please feel free to copy and distribute s Rainforests once covered 14%
More informationCreator, author of life on this wondrous planet, when you fashioned the world, the morning stars sang together and the host of heaven shouted for joy.
FUMC Perry 5 Feb. 2012 What would Jesus do about air pollution? First scripture reading: 2 Kings 5:1-14 Second scripture reading: Mark 1:40-45 Call to Worship Creator, author of life on this wondrous planet,
More informationWhy economics needs ethical theory
Why economics needs ethical theory by John Broome, University of Oxford In Arguments for a Better World: Essays in Honour of Amartya Sen. Volume 1 edited by Kaushik Basu and Ravi Kanbur, Oxford University
More informationMr. President, His Excellency and other heads of delegations, Good Morning/Good afternoon.
NOTE: COMPARE AGAINST DELIVERY Mr. President, His Excellency and other heads of delegations, Good Morning/Good afternoon. First of all, in behalf of the Philippine delegation, I would like to express our
More informationLYING TEACHER S NOTES
TEACHER S NOTES INTRO Each student has to choose one of the following topics. The other students have to ask questions on that topic. During the discussion, the student has to lie once. The other students
More informationHow should I live? I should do whatever brings about the most pleasure (or, at least, the most good)
How should I live? I should do whatever brings about the most pleasure (or, at least, the most good) Suppose that some actions are right, and some are wrong. What s the difference between them? What makes
More information24.03: Good Food 2/15/17
Consequentialism and Famine I. Moral Theory: Introduction Here are five questions we might want an ethical theory to answer for us: i) Which acts are right and which are wrong? Which acts ought we to perform
More informationInternational Management Ethics & Values. An example of a Journal which received a fail grade
International Management Ethics & Values An example of a Journal which received a fail grade The journal has 8 entries, and is about 2,500 words long. The final entry does mention the journal writing process
More informationThey're obviously faltering!!!
Armed police to wear body cameras in London 1. Speculate 2. Escalate 3. Suspicion Guide Questions 1. What led to police officers wearing of body cameras in London? 2. What are the advantages of wearing
More informationThe Cry of the Earth. A Pastoral Reflection on Climate Change from The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference
The Cry of the Earth A Pastoral Reflection on Climate Change from The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference God our Father, open our eyes to see your hand at work in the splendour of creation, In the beauty
More information1. Special Sundays relating to caring for God s earth (e.g. Creation Time, Environment Sunday, Rogation Sunday etc.) are celebrated in our church:
WORSHIP & TEACHING 1. Special Sundays relating to caring for God s earth (e.g. Creation Time, Environment Sunday, Rogation Sunday etc.) are celebrated in our church: 2. The hymns and songs (and liturgies
More informationOlle Häggström, Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology.
Who can we trust? Is it true, as is often claimed, that science is united around the theory that global warming is man made? In order to answer this question, we need to specify what is meant both by the
More informationDeontological Ethics
Deontological Ethics From Jane Eyre, the end of Chapter XXVII: (Mr. Rochester is the first speaker) And what a distortion in your judgment, what a perversity in your ideas, is proved by your conduct! Is
More informationEthical Egoism. Ethical Egoism Things You Should Know. Quiz: one sentence each beginning with The claim that
Ethical Egoism Quiz: one sentence each beginning with The claim that 1) What is ethical 2) What is psychological Ethical Egoism Things You Should Know How are ethical egoism and ethical relativism each
More informationAustralia s Bishops and Climate Change
Australia s Bishops and Climate Change When man turns his back on the Creator s plan, he provokes a disorder which has inevitable repercussions on the rest of the created order. If man is not peace with
More informationOUR HUMAN DOMINION ON THE EARTH
Donway Covenant United Church, Toronto, Earth Day, April 22, 2018. Harold Wells. Psalm 8, Genesis 1: 1-5, 28-31 OUR HUMAN DOMINION ON THE EARTH So this is Earth Day! A good time to reflect on God s creation,
More informationAn environmental check-up for your church
Ideas for Action ECO-CONGREGATION SCOTLAND an environmental toolkit for churches An environmental check-up for your church Welcome to Eco-Congregation Scotland! This Module has been developed to help you
More informationNo Love for Singer: The Inability of Preference Utilitarianism to Justify Partial Relationships
No Love for Singer: The Inability of Preference Utilitarianism to Justify Partial Relationships In his book Practical Ethics, Peter Singer advocates preference utilitarianism, which holds that the right
More informationThe Pleasure Imperative
The Pleasure Imperative Utilitarianism, particularly the version espoused by John Stuart Mill, is probably the best known consequentialist normative ethical theory. Furthermore, it is probably the most
More informationEcology and the Churches: Official Statements and Resources
Ecology and the Churches: Official Statements and Resources Download at http://washtheocon.org Use search bar: Ecology and the Churches Pope Francis timely encyclical on the environmental crisis, Laudato
More information24.02 Moral Problems and the Good Life
MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu 24.02 Moral Problems and the Good Life Fall 2008 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms. Three Moral Theories
More informationPeter Singer, Famine, Affluence, and Morality
Peter Singer, Famine, Affluence, and Morality As I write this, in November 1971, people are dying in East Bengal from lack of food, shelter, and medical care. The suffering and death that are occurring
More informationSustainable minds: The agenda for change (Pieter van Beukering) Introduction
Sustainable minds: The agenda for change (Pieter van Beukering) Introduction It is 1991. I am 23 year old, studying economics, working really hard so that sufficient time was left for travelling around
More informationLaudato Si THE TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS & OUR PLANET
Laudato Si THE TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS & OUR PLANET How Are the Two Greatest Commandments Related to the Environment? Love God with all Your Heart Show Appreciation for the Gift of Creation Love Your
More informationA Brief Examination of Conscience Based on the Ten Commandments
A Brief Examination of Conscience Based on the Ten Commandments I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me. Have I treated people, events, or things as more important than God? You
More informationIntroduction xiii. that more good is likely to be realised in the one case than in the other. 4
INTRODUCTION We all make ethical choices, often without being conscious of doing so. Too often we assume that ethics is about obeying the rules that begin with You must not.... If that were all there is
More informationclimate change in the american mind Americans Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in March 2012
climate change in the american mind Americans Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in March 2012 Climate Change in the American Mind: Americans Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in March 2012 Interview
More informationReview of Science and Ethics. Bernard Rollin Cambridge University Press pp., paper
92 Between the Species Review of Science and Ethics Bernard Rollin Cambridge University Press 2006 306 pp., paper Walters State Community College greg.bock@ws.edu Volume 18, Issue 1 Aug 2015 93 Bernard
More informationIMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND ITS APPROACHES IN OUR PRESENT SOCIETY
IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND ITS APPROACHES IN OUR PRESENT SOCIETY Dr. Mayuri Barman Asstt. Prof. ( Senior Scale) Department of Philosophy Pandu College Introduction The environmental crisis
More informationPHI 1700: Global Ethics
PHI 1700: Global Ethics Session 12 March 17 th, 2016 Nozick, The Experience Machine ; Singer, Famine, Affluence, and Morality Last class we learned that utilitarians think we should determine what to do
More informationRE Religion and Life 2012 Exam Paper
RE Religion and Life 2012 Exam Paper Animals 1) Give two reasons why some animals are kept in Zoos 2 Marks Conservation purposes breeding programmes are run in some zoos to help protect animals from extinction
More informationThink by Simon Blackburn. Chapter 3e Free Will
Think by Simon Blackburn Chapter 3e Free Will The video Free Will and Neurology attempts to provide scientific evidence that A. our free will is the result of a single free will neuron. B. our sense that
More informationFaith and Global Policy Challenges. Sample Size: 1,496 (including an oversample of 330 Catholics)
Faith and Global Policy Challenges D ates of Survey: September 9-19, 2011 Margin of Error: +/-3.3% [full sample] 5.7% [Catholics] 6.7% [Evangelicals] Sample Size: 1,496 (including an oversample of 330
More informationDiscussion Guide for Small Groups* Good Shepherd Catholic Church Fall 2015
9/27/2015 2:48 PM Discussion Guide for Small Groups* Good Shepherd Catholic Church Fall 2015 Please use this guide as a starting point for reflection and discussion. Use the questions as a guide for reflection
More information1. Special Sundays relating to caring for God s earth (e.g. Creation Time, Environment Sunday, Rogation Sunday etc.) are celebrated in our church:
WORSHIP & TEACHING 1. Special Sundays relating to caring for God s earth (e.g. Creation Time, Environment Sunday, Rogation Sunday etc.) are celebrated in our church: 2. The hymns and songs (and liturgies
More informationClimate Change: Problem or Opportunity?
Climate Change: Problem or Opportunity? Understanding Climate Change in the Context of the Gospel This is the text of part of an address given to the Synod of The Anglican Church in Tasmania on 2 nd June,
More informationA TEACHING AND STUDY GUIDE for MORAL GROUND
A TEACHING AND STUDY GUIDE for MORAL GROUND Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril 1st Edition, August 2011 Edited by Kathleen Dean Moore and Michael P. Nelson Kathleen Dean Moore and Michael P. Nelson Contents
More informationLegend has it that a custodian put an image of a fly in a urinal in Amsterdam s Schiphol
Strings Attached: Untangling the Ethics of Incentives By Ruth W. Grant Princeton University Press, 187pp, 16.95 ISBN 978-0691151601 Published 23 November 2011 Legend has it that a custodian put an image
More informationUtilitarianism: For and Against (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973), pp Reprinted in Moral Luck (CUP, 1981).
Draft of 3-21- 13 PHIL 202: Core Ethics; Winter 2013 Core Sequence in the History of Ethics, 2011-2013 IV: 19 th and 20 th Century Moral Philosophy David O. Brink Handout #14: Williams, Internalism, and
More informationAn Introduction to Ethics / Moral Philosophy
An Introduction to Ethics / Moral Philosophy Ethics / moral philosophy is concerned with what is good for individuals and society and is also described as moral philosophy. The term is derived from the
More informationGLOBAL WARMING OR CLIMATE CHANGE?
1 GLOBAL WARMING OR CLIMATE CHANGE? (Tel Aviv, Sept. 7, 2011) 1. The purpose of this short intervention is to open a discussion which I think our Working Party should have at this early stage of its existence.
More informationPHI 1700: Global Ethics
PHI 1700: Global Ethics Session 5 September 13 th, 2018 Metaethics: Rationalism vs. Sentimentalism 1 Today s topic is an enduring question in moral psychology: Do we make moral judgments using our reason,
More informationReligion and the Roots of Climate Change Denial: A Catholic Perspective Stephen Pope
Religion and the Roots of Climate Change Denial: A Catholic Perspective Stephen Pope Professor of Theology, Boston College April 8, 2015 St. Augustine (354-430) The Bible cannot be properly understood
More informationOne thing that Musk holds in the highest regard is resolve, and he respects people who continue on
Elon Musk One thing that Musk holds in the highest regard is resolve, and he respects people who continue on after being told no. The planet has been heated up and transformed to suit humans Turning humans
More informationPhilosophical Ethics. Consequentialism Deontology (Virtue Ethics)
Consequentialism Deontology (Virtue Ethics) Consequentialism Deontology (Virtue Ethics) Consequentialism the value of an action (the action's moral worth, its rightness or wrongness) derives entirely from
More informationEating Right: The Ethics of Food Choices and Food Policy Philosophy 252 Spring 2010 (Version of January 20)
Eating Right: The Ethics of Food Choices and Food Policy Philosophy 252 Spring 2010 (Version of January 20) Instructor Andy Egan andyegan@philosophy.rutgers.edu Office & Office Hours: 1 Seminary Place
More informationHappy Earth Day! Actually, Earth Day was officially on Friday, one knows why it is celebrated on this date. This year was especially
Happy Earth Day! Actually, Earth Day was officially on Friday, because it is always celebrated on April 22 nd. It began in 1970 and no one knows why it is celebrated on this date. This year was especially
More informationUnitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens Centering Thoughts Becoming Comfortable with Discomfort by Dr. David Jarrett A sermon delivered on July 31, 2016 At the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of
More informationTWO ACCOUNTS OF THE NORMATIVITY OF RATIONALITY
DISCUSSION NOTE BY JONATHAN WAY JOURNAL OF ETHICS & SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY DISCUSSION NOTE DECEMBER 2009 URL: WWW.JESP.ORG COPYRIGHT JONATHAN WAY 2009 Two Accounts of the Normativity of Rationality RATIONALITY
More informationSoraj Hongladarom Department of Philosophy Chulalongkorn University Workshop on Env. Ethics and Energy Equity, April 3, 2013
Intellectual Property Rights and Environmental Ethics Soraj Hongladarom Department of Philosophy Chulalongkorn University Workshop on Env. Ethics and Energy Equity, April 3, 2013 Outline Many problems
More informationEthics is subjective.
Introduction Scientific Method and Research Ethics Ethical Theory Greg Bognar Stockholm University September 22, 2017 Ethics is subjective. If ethics is subjective, then moral claims are subjective in
More informationSPEECH. Over the past year I have travelled to 16 Member States. I have learned a lot, and seen at first-hand how much nature means to people.
SPEECH Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great pleasure to welcome you here to the Square. The eyes of Europe are upon us, as we consider its most vital resource its nature. I am sure we will all be doing
More information2014 Examination Report 2014 Extended Investigation GA 2: Critical Thinking Test GENERAL COMMENTS
2014 Extended Investigation GA 2: Critical Thinking Test GENERAL COMMENTS The Extended Investigation Critical Thinking Test assesses the ability of students to produce arguments, and to analyse and assess
More information