PHIL 1108E Exam 2

Ecofeminism

A social and political movement merging feminist and ecological principles, arguing that the oppression of women and the exploitation of nature are interconnected through colonial, patriarchal, hierarchical systems.

Feminism

The belief and advocacy for social, economic, and political equality of the sexes; also a critical framework that focuses on gaps or ignored parts of research.

Teleological

The explanation of phenomena by their final purpose, goal, or end result rather than their cause or mechanism.

Food Sovereigntist

An advocate for food sovereignty—the right of peoples to control their own food systems and produce culturally appropriate food through sustainable methods.

Third World

A Cold War term for nations not aligned with the US or USSR; in this course, tied to histories of colonialism, exploitation, and Western geopolitical influence.

Ontological

Relating to the nature of being, existence, and reality.

Epistemological

Relating to knowledge—how it is formed, justified, and understood.

Fiduciary responsibility

A duty to act in the best interests of another party, often involving trust and ethical obligation.

Modern science viewed by ecofeminism

Critiqued as Western, patriarchal, reductionist, and falsely “objective,” contributing to domination over women and nature.

Reductionism

The breaking down of complex systems into simpler parts, often ignoring relationships and interdependence.

Critical framework

A method of analysis that highlights omissions, power structures, and marginalized perspectives.

Reductionism in science and its impact

Encourages domination and control over nature by ignoring interconnected ecological systems.

Social labor

The work that sustains society, often unequally distributed and undervalued (especially gendered labor).

Human treatment of animals

Includes experimentation, meat consumption, culling, hunting, and fur industries; raises ethical concerns about suffering and exploitation.

Animal rights first introduced as parody

Initially mocked (e.g., “Rights of Brutes”) to criticize extending rights beyond humans.

Considerability

The ethical status of a being that determines whether it deserves moral consideration.

Utilitarian ethics

The view that moral actions minimize suffering and maximize happiness for the greatest number.

Sentience

The capacity to feel or experience pleasure and pain.

Principle of equal consideration

All beings’ interests must be weighed equally regardless of species.

Human and nonhuman suffering according to Singer

Animal suffering is morally equivalent to human suffering if the capacity for suffering is present.

Speciesism

Unjustified bias toward one’s own species; a form of moral chauvinism.

Moral equality

The principle that all sentient beings deserve equal moral consideration.

Consideration of interest in animal rights

The requirement to evaluate animal and human interests impartially.

Orientalism

A Western framework that portrays non-Western (especially Middle Eastern) societies as inferior, irrational, or backward, often used to justify domination or intervention.

Iran War history (general

A history shaped by Western political and economic intervention (e.g., oil interests, Cold War influence), framing Iran and similar regions through Orientalist and colonial perspectives.

Chauvinism

Arbitrary privileging of one group’s interests; in this course, tied to speciesism, nationalism, and colonial attitudes.

Culling

The selective killing of animals based on criteria like weakness, disease, or productivity to maintain populations.

Self-conscious v self-aware

Self-conscious: awareness of oneself as an individual; Self-aware: awareness of one’s experiences or mental states.

Biocentric

The view that all living organisms have inherent value within an interconnected ecological system.

Moral Agent

A being capable of making moral decisions and being held responsible.

Moral Patient

A being deserving of moral consideration due to its capacity to suffer or have interests.

Instrumentalism

Treating something as a tool or means to achieve an end.

Noninstrumental treatment of nature

Valuing nature intrinsically, not just for human use.

Differential Imperative

The idea that human virtue is defined by distancing oneself from nature.

Rationalism

The belief that reason is the primary source of knowledge.

Rational Egoism

The view that rational action is based on maximizing self-interest.

Universalization

The idea that principles or actions should apply universally.

Ethical Universalization

A moral rule is valid only if it can be applied consistently to everyone.

Animal intentionality

The idea that animals can have mental states directed toward goals or objects.

Dualism

The separation of reality into two distinct categories (e.g., mind/body, human/nature).

Atomism

The view that individuals are independent, self-contained units.

Oppositional model of humans and nature

The belief that humans are separate from and dominate nature.

Relational model of humans and nature

The view that humans are interconnected with and dependent on nature.

Androcentrism

The centering of male perspectives as the norm.

Discontinuity thesis

The idea that humans are fundamentally distinct from animals.

Deep Ecology Conceptualizations of self

The idea that the self expands to include the natural world.

Indistinguishability

The lack of clear boundaries between humans and nature.

Expansion of self

The process of identifying with a broader ecological identity.

Transcendence of self

Moving beyond the individual ego to recognize unity with all life.