ENVS203: Interactive Content | Saylor Academy

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COURSE INTRODUCTION

Course Syllabus

Unit 1: Ethics and the Environment

1.1: Overview of Ethics

What is Ethics? Basic Ethical Concepts

The Origins of Western Thought: Socrates and Plato

What is the Difference Between Ethics and Morals?

Ethics: Current and Future Challenges

Ethics in Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Metaethics

An Introduction to Ethical Reasoning

Normative Ethics

Virtue Ethics

Deontology

Applied Ethics

1.1 Discussion

1.2: Environmental Ethics

Ecosystem Services: Economics

Introduction to Environmental Ethics

Does Nature Have Intrinsic Value?

Non-Western Perspectives on Environmental Ethics

Altruism

Public and Private Goods: The Tragedy of the Commons

Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Application by Service Scientists

Radiometric Dating

Are Climate Change Deniers Committing Crimes Against Humanity?

Climate Ethics and the Copenhagen Accord

Ethics and Moral Status

The Struggle for Animal Rights

Animal Rights

Unit 1 Assessment

Unit 1 Assessment

Unit 2: Environmental Ethics Approaches and World Views

2.1: Introduction to Environmental Ethics and Approaches

Introduction to Environmental Ethics

Anthropocentric vs. Non-Anthropocentric Environmental Ethics

Anthropocentrism

Confronting Anthropocentrism

Biocentrism

Paul Taylor and Biocentric Egalitarianism

Ecocentrism

Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time

Defining Deep Ecology

Deep Ecology

The Gaia Hypothesis

From Gaia Theory to Deep Ecology

The Gaia Hypothesis

2.1 Discussion

2.2: Utilitarian Conservation and Biocentric Preservation

Utilitarian-Based Land Ethic

Relationships Between People and Animals

Sustainable Development and Philosophies of Technology

2.3: Religious Views of the Environment

The Historical and Cultural Basis of the Current Environmental Situation

Religion and the Environment

The Ancients and Nature

Environmental History between Science and Philosophy

The Value of Indigenous Ways of Knowing

A Christian View on the Environment

Ownership and Stewardship of the Environment

What does Buddhism Teach about Ecology?

Buddhist Scriptures and Teachings

Reflections on a Buddhist Environmentalism

Jewish Perspectives on the Modern Environmental Movement

Man and Ecology: An Islamic Perspective

Hinduism and Environmental Conservation

Hindu Scripture and Ecology

Sikhism and the Environment

2.3 Discussion

Unit 2 Assessment

Unit 2 Assessment

Unit 3: Environmental Ethics History and Its Pioneers

3.1: The History and Key Events of the Environmental Ethics Movement

The Historical Influences on the Modern Environmental Movement

The Human Dimensions of Sustainability: History, Culture, Ethics

Timeline of European Environmental History, Part 1: Prehistory and Antiquity

Timeline of European Environmental History, Part 2: Middle Ages and Early Modern Period

Timeline of European Environmental History, Part 3: Industrial Revolution and the 20th Century

How the First Earth Day Came About

What The First Earth Day Can Teach Us About Sharing