Lecture Notes on Environmental Ethics

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes on Environmental Ethics.

Animal Liberation

A moral view prioritizing the welfare and rights of individual animals, often associated with Peter Singer’s utilitarianism.

Suffering (in Animal Liberation)

According to animal liberationists, our duties to nature arise from the capacity of individual animals to suffer; moral duties are owed to sentient beings.

Sagoff's Critique of Animal Liberation

Animal liberation focuses on individual welfare, while environmentalism often prioritizes ecosystems and species, which may require harming individual animals.

Leopold vs. Singer on Hunting

Leopold permits hunting if it supports ecosystem health; Singer rejects it as it causes animal suffering.

Singer vs. Leopold on Endangered Species

Singer values species only if it benefits individual animals; Leopold values species as integral parts of ecosystems, regardless of individual welfare.

Preservationism (Endangered Species)

The view that species should be protected for their own sake, regardless of utility to humans.

Conservationism (Endangered Species)

The view that species should be protected primarily for their utility or benefit to humans.

Snail Darter Controversy

A legal battle in the 1970s where construction of a dam was halted because it endangered a small fish species, raising debates between economic development (conservationism) and species protection (preservationism).

Individual Members View

The idea that species have value because their individual members have value.

Bradley's Rejection of Individual Members View

He argues it fails because protecting individuals does not necessarily require preserving the species.

Species Value View

The view that species have intrinsic value as collective entities.

Bradley's Rejection of Species Value View

He argues it lacks justification for why species qua species should be valuable independently of their utility or their members.

Instrumental Value for Future Generations View

The idea that species should be preserved for their potential value to future humans.

Bradley's Rejection of Future Generations View

He sees it as too speculative and anthropocentric; it doesn't explain why species are valuable in themselves.

Contributory Value

Value that something has as a contributor to a whole that has intrinsic value.

Bonum Variationis Principle

The “good of variety”; the idea that biodiversity contributes to the overall value of the world.

Bradley's Defense of Preservationism

He argues species contribute to the richness (variety) of the world, which is intrinsically valuable.

Uniformity World vs. Variety World

A comparison between a world with uniform life and one with diverse species; we intuitively value the variety world more, supporting the bonum variationis principle.

Climate Change as a Perfect Moral Storm

Because it involves complex, overlapping ethical challenges that make moral failure particularly likely.

Climate Change as a Prisoner’s Dilemma

Each country has incentives to pollute for short-term gain, but if all do so, everyone suffers—just like prisoners who defect in the classic dilemma.

Global Storm (Gardiner)

The difficulty of coordinating globally due to the dispersion of causes and effects across nations.

Intergenerational Storm

The challenge of dealing fairly with future generations who will be most affected but have no voice now.

Theoretical Storm

The lack of adequate ethical theories and institutions to handle these overlapping moral challenges.

Intergenerational vs. Global Storm

Future generations cannot advocate for themselves, making it easier for present actors to ignore their interests.

Moral Corruption and Climate Change

Because its complexity, time scale, and incentives create opportunities for self-deception, distraction, and buck-passing.