Notes on Virtue Ethics and Environmental Ethics

Introduction to Virtue Ethics

  • Overview of virtue ethics in previous classes.
  • Focus on a reading by Philip Cavaro rather than criticisms of virtue ethics.
  • Philip Cavaro's perspectives provide a detailed view of environmental virtue ethics.

Content of Cavaro's Work

  • Cavaro's Thesis: A way to create a robust understanding of the relationship of virtue ethics to our broader relationship with the world and others.
  • Emphasis on environmental virtue ethics.
    • Not solely on the environmental aspect but on ethical obligations and duties to natural entities.
    • Acknowledgment of the complexity in ethical obligations towards different life forms.

Administrative Announcements

  • Paper Number Two:
    • Due today, with the possibility of submitting an optional fourth paper, allowing students to choose which papers to submit and drop the lowest grade.
  • Midterm Exam Information:
    • Scheduled for Friday.
    • Structure of the exam: typically administered online using the LockDown Browser.
    • LockDown Browser Features:
      • Disables other pages and applications during the exam.
      • Must inform the instructor if needing a paper copy of the exam.
    • Issues with LockDown Browser can be addressed immediately by the instructor.

Review Sheet for Midterm Exam

  • Class discussion acknowledging the review sheet and encouraging questions.
    • Key topics include:
    • Poaching of ethical relativism and subjectivism.
      • Poshman’s Critique: Focuses on the inability of certain ethical theories to resolve interpersonal conflicts, rendering them ineffective.
    • Importance of clear statements in ethics (e.g., Divine Law versus Natural Law).

Key Concepts in Divine Law and Natural Law

  • Divine Law (Aquinas):
    • Defined as Christian scripture (Old and New Testament).
    • Provides clarity and straightforward guidance for ethical decision-making.
    • Serves as a counter to the complexities of Natural Law, which inscribes moral truths on human hearts but lacks specific clarity in decision-making.
  • Natural Law:
    • Claims that moral truths about human interactions are evident but are subject to personal interpretation.
    • Aquinas argues for the necessity of divine law because of the complexity and difficulty inherent in ethical decision-making.

Social Contract Theory (Hobbes)

  • Understanding the Social Contract:
    • Morality as a social construction, viewed through ethical skepticism.
    • Agreement among individuals to follow state-enforced laws to avoid conflict, implying that without laws, humans would resort to self-interest (