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Welcome to our class's wiki! This wiki is for Jon Lepofsky's **Ethics and the Environment** class at Carolina Friends School's Upper School (for the 2009 Spring Term). Our class is using various theories of environmental philosophy to investigate real world problems of the environment. Our primary focus is to trace the sources of our stuff and find out more about how dilemmas of environmental ethics emerge from these commodity chains. This wiki allows us to work collaboratively (sharing resources, writing/thinking collectively) and to do so by reducing our paper use.

Here is the outline of the course--since we're making the class together, this serves as the syllabus:

Ethics and the Environment Carolina Friends School Jon Lepofsky 5th Period, Spring Term, 2009 ** Overview of the Course ** // Introduction // Humans have been interacting with and modifying the environment from before civilization. Right now, just by breathing, we are altering the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air. But just because we are doing that, it does not mean that we know the //best// way to relate to the environment. In deciding what the “best” way is, we often rely on whatever we use as our values and whatever we think of as leading to a “good” way of being in the world. However, what the “best” way to relate or be is, or how that can be measured, is openly and voraciously debated. That is exactly why the field of environmental philosophy emerged as it did in the 1970s: to help us better articulate the “best” way to relate to the environment and to give us some conceptual tools in order to do so. Should I buy something that is made from all recycled contents, even if it is more expensive or of lesser quality? Should China and India slow their economic growth, and in doing so lag behind the United States and Western Europe and contribute to less wealth for the citizens of these countries, just because that growth is driven by burning lots and lots of coal? Should you limit the number of children you have because some people claim that overpopulation puts a strain on the global environment? Should I be a vegetarian? Should I be a vegan? Am I beholden to anyone (or anything) else besides myself in considering these questions? In thinking about my relationship to the environment, am I any different that any other animal or biological creature, or is there something special about being a human?

It is perhaps that final question that raises the most challenging issues for environmental philosophy and will be at the heart of all we do this term: as we consider the “best” way to interact with the environment, what does this teach us about how to be an ethical human being, especially in a rapidly globalizing world? This course will provide all of us an opportunity to understand more clearly what we think the “best” way to interact with the environment is and how we go about deciding that. // Aims of the course // At its heart, this is a philosophy class. However, the aim of this class is for us to be able to apply philosophical theories to real life environmental concerns. In doing so, we will not only shed light on the ethical dilemmas inherent in these topics, but we will also push some of these theories to their limit and potentially contribute to making them stronger through our investigations. Because this class is about asking questions and trying out different answers, there is no definite “right” or “wrong.” Rather, the aims of this class are to identify, effectively and thoughtfully, the taken-for-granted ideas in the topics we choose, and, in doing so, pose difficult questions. It is not my hope to “convert” you to a particular environmentalism or use this class to force you into any preconceived action; I really want to challenge all of our assumptions (including my own) about how best to act “environmentally” so that however we act, we do so thoughtfully, purposefully and logically. Additionally, because this course is part of the CFS Global Citizenship curriculum, we will also practice effective ways to ask these questions and justify our conceptions through writing. In doing so, we will learn key theories and perspectives from environmental philosophy and use these to inquire about our relationship with the environment in an increasingly globalizing era. // Methods of the course // To really understand these theories, we will need a set of topics to use as case studies. Therefore, the bulk of this class will be based around a collective inquiry into some case studies of the class’s choosing. Possibly, this will take shape around current events that we agree are environmental in scope.

To make the most out of environmental topics in order to learn about environmental philosophy, this course will be based upon our collective inquiry into topics of our own choosing. Drawing upon what knowledge and experience we have with understanding these topics through an environmental lens, we will choose a set of topics to focus our attention upon and then try to understand why these events require such particularly environmental interpretations. In doing so, we will pay attention to the gaps in our own knowledge and attempt to fill those gaps by turning to information and theories which can help provide answers and explanations. For example, if we choose to understand the move by many towards eating local food (the “locavore” movement, see []), we will need to understand how modern agriculture came to be designed around a set of international networks as well as how different types of agriculture put humans into different types of relationships with the environment. We will also need to understand the justifications for consuming locally, the counterarguments, and the scientific evidence that supports all sides. Furthermore, we will need to look at the specific context that makes it possible to consume locally, what would have to change in order for this movement to become more widespread, and who/what would gain or loose.

To conduct this collective inquiry, we will first identify the topics upon which to focus, then learn as much as we can about these events and their related issues. This will force us to ask questions of ourselves and to create an archive of questions needing answering. We will then use this collection of questions to conduct research on relevant historical, ecological, economic and political topics, hopefully drawing upon the rich resources of the area (such as Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment or the area’s large number of farmers’ markets). We will then attempt to explain these topics within their ethical context through presentations of our research. It is my hope that the presentation of this work at the end of the term will be both collective and public. // Structure of the course // In following these methods, we will divide the course into several sections. The first few weeks of the term will be devoted to the identification and examination of the events we want to understand, with attention to how these events are spoken of and written about in ethical terms, as well as clarifying our own ethical stances on the environment. The next component of the course will focus on the specific theories and perspectives from environmental philosophy we will need to understand the ethical questions surrounding these events. The third and final section of the course will provide us the space to present our work in interesting and meaningful ways. We will develop the specific class session topics, materials and assignments together as we proceed through the term. // Expectations // Because this class will be driven by our, and primarily by your, interests, I expect you to be interested. That means that you will need to be an active and engaged participant in the collective process of inquiry that is at the core of this class. You need to think in critical and engaged ways and approach our work with honesty and a desire to learn more. You will also need to complete what assignments we do generate as well as contribute to the culminating presentations. Hopefully, because you will take an active role in constructing this course, you will do so with ambition yet practicality and set the terms for your own success. You will also need to be patient and generous in working with me and your peers and look for ways to reconcile differences, share responsibilities, and communicate openly. Your evaluation—which will also be developed together—will address your capacity to realize these expectations. I look forward to learning what expectations you have for yourself as well as what expectations you have for me. // Some key texts for the course (a partial list—you will help create the rest!) // · // Encounters with the Archdruid // by John McPhee · “Ethics on the Home Planet” by Holmes Rolston, III · “Principles of Environmental Justice” by the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit · // A Sand County Almanac // by Aldo Leopold (selections) · “The Tragedy of the Commons” by Garret Hardin I am excited about this opportunity to explore along with you. I hope that you are as excited and open to what is to come in this course that we will make together!