Session 1 Anthropocentrism and Environment

Session 1: Anthropencentrsim and Environment

Reading Assignment:  Edward Wimberley Nested Ecology, Preface, Chapter 1-3; Ben Minteer, Refounding Environmental Ethics, Chapter 1; Kareiva, Peter and Marvier, Michelle "What is Conservation Science?" Ted Nordhaus and Michael Sellenberger - "The Death of Environmentalism."  

Video Assignment: A New Type of Conservation: Breaking Free of Two Myths About Nature- Peter Kareiva; Failed Metaphors and a New Environmentalism for the 21st Century - Peter Kareiva; The Long Death of Environmentalism - Ted Nordhaus and Michael Sellenberger; Beyond Environmentalism: Towards a New Ecological Politics - Ted Nordhaus and Michael Sellenberger; Thomas Sowell on "Intellectuals & Society (Part 1)" - Hoover Institute Interview; Thomas Sowell on "Intellectuals & Society (Part 2)" - Hoover Institute Interview; Thomas Sowell on "Intellectuals and Race" - Hoover Institute Interview;

Other Videos of Interest: George Carlin - On the Environment

Homework Assignment: This homework is due no later than 5 pm on last day of class session.

1. Summarize what Wimberley means by a nested ecology approach and cocmpare that to the pragmatism of Minteer.

2. Go to the web and research these terms: anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, biocentrism, ethnocentrism. Explain each term and identify the term that is NOT an environmental philosophy concept.

3. Likewise, go to the web and research the identity of a term which posits that the enivornment deserves a philosophical approach that is not purely derived from human ethics. Explain what you find.

4. What is a preservation ethic and discuss the degree to which it is it based upon egocentrism and individualism.

5. Summarize the perpsective of Peter Karieva on environmentalism and conservation. Then contrast the perspectives of Nordhaus and Sellenberg with Karieva's approach.

6. In policy making what risks does one assume in taking the advice of "intellectuals?