Environmental ethics concerns human beings’ ethical relationship with the natural environment. It brings out the fact that all the life forms on Earth have the Right to live. By destroying nature, we are denying the life forms this right. This act is unjust and unethical. Respecting the existence of not just other humans but also the non-human
entities, and recognizing their right to live is our primary duty. With environmental ethics, morality extends to the non-human world.
Issues in Environmental Ethics
• Consumption of Natural Resources: Natural resources are limited and are crucial for survival of human beings. It concerns the rights of future generations to a clean and green environment.
• Destruction of forests:
Some Ethical Dilemmas involved
• Human Development or Environment
• Development of Current generation or that of Future Generation
• Quicker and easier way of development or Sustainable development
• Human Rights or Non-human (animal, plants, rivers, air) Rights
• Self centricism or Utilitarian
o When industrial processes lead to destruction of resources, is it not the industry's responsibility to restore the depleted resources?
o Can a restored environment make up for the original one? Who is responsible for the biodiversity loss?
o Do animals and plants in the forests have rights? What would happen if animals, plants, and other species
are destroyed? Should it affect us?
o Is it right for us to be responsible for the extinction of certain species only for the sake of our consumption and greed?
• Harm to Animals: The reduction in the populations of several other animal species continues as they serve food sources, animal testing etc.
o How can we deny the animals their right to
live? How are we right in depriving them of
their habitat and food? Who gave us the right
to harm them for our convenience?
• Environmental Pollution: Environmental problems have a strong distributional dimension. For example, the negative effects of climate
Ethics behind Sustainable development:
• Intergenerational equality: It states that it is our responsibility to handover a healthy, resourceful and safe environment to the future generations, by justified use of resources, reducing pollution, controlling population and maintaining an ecological balance
• Intragenerational equality: An equality within and between the nations by such type of technological development which will support economic growth of the poor countries so as to reduce the wealth gap between the nations. It will also provide equal opportunity to use natural resources for all.
change will fall disproportionately on the poor in current generations, and on future generations who are less responsible for greenhouse gas emissions as they
accrue.
o In spite of knowing that gasoline run vehicles lead to the destruction of natural resources, is
it right for us to continue manufacturing and using them?
o Are the guidelines which are drawn to protect the environment and nature any effective? What is causing their failure?
Ethical theories and Environment
• Religion: Most religions encourage the ideas of protecting the environment or preserving nature. In some religions, certain plants or animals, rivers and
How to maintain Environmental Ethics:
• Equitable utilization of natural resources.
• Equity among the people of rural and urban areas.
• Conservation of resources for future generations.
• Environmental rights of animals.
• Environmental education.
• Conservation of traditional value systems.
• Prevention of unnecessary harm to animals
• Prevention of eco-terrorism.
• Use of eco-friendly items.
• Keeping the environment neat and clean.
• Environment Impact Assessment
• Community participation in protecting environment.
81 ©Vision IAS
mountains etc. are worshiped considering them as sacred or symbols of a particular deity. This shows that disrespecting the rights of animals and other non-human entities is against religious morality.
• Anthropocentric Ethic: It is a part of utilitarian ethics. It claims that all the direct moral obligations we possess, including those we have with regard to the environment, are owed to our fellow human beings. The environmental concerns are only because of the way they affect human beings. For exa mple, pollution diminishes health, resource depletion threatens standards of living, climate change puts human lives and livelihood at risk. Quite simply then, an anthropocentric ethic claims that we possess obligations to respect the environment for the sake of human well-being and prosperity.
o The existing traditions of Environmental ethics are anthropocentric as it claims non-human
'nature/ecosystem' to have only "instrumental" value as a means to human well-being.
• Deep Ecology: According to this eco-philosphy, humans should broaden their idea of 'self' to include other life forms, it is about realizing ecological consciousness. It provides 8 basic Principles:
o Intrinsic value of both human and non-human life on Earth.
o Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of these values and are also values in themselves.
o Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs.
o The flourishing of all life and cultures is compatible with a substantially smaller population.
o Present human interference with the non-human world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening.
o Policies must therefore be changed.
o The ideological change will be mainly that of appreciating life quality rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living.
o Obligation directly or indirectly to try to implement the necessary changes.
• Virtue Ethics: It includes a certain range of excellences of character that are constitutive of a good human life:
integrity, sensitivity, courage, loyalty, good judgment, and so on. They determine how we relate to the non‑human world as well, for example, with sensitivity and compassion towards other sentient beings.
entities, and recognizing their right to live is our primary duty. With environmental ethics, morality extends to the non-human world.
Issues in Environmental Ethics
• Consumption of Natural Resources: Natural resources are limited and are crucial for survival of human beings. It concerns the rights of future generations to a clean and green environment.
• Destruction of forests:
Some Ethical Dilemmas involved
• Human Development or Environment
• Development of Current generation or that of Future Generation
• Quicker and easier way of development or Sustainable development
• Human Rights or Non-human (animal, plants, rivers, air) Rights
• Self centricism or Utilitarian
o When industrial processes lead to destruction of resources, is it not the industry's responsibility to restore the depleted resources?
o Can a restored environment make up for the original one? Who is responsible for the biodiversity loss?
o Do animals and plants in the forests have rights? What would happen if animals, plants, and other species
are destroyed? Should it affect us?
o Is it right for us to be responsible for the extinction of certain species only for the sake of our consumption and greed?
• Harm to Animals: The reduction in the populations of several other animal species continues as they serve food sources, animal testing etc.
o How can we deny the animals their right to
live? How are we right in depriving them of
their habitat and food? Who gave us the right
to harm them for our convenience?
• Environmental Pollution: Environmental problems have a strong distributional dimension. For example, the negative effects of climate
Ethics behind Sustainable development:
• Intergenerational equality: It states that it is our responsibility to handover a healthy, resourceful and safe environment to the future generations, by justified use of resources, reducing pollution, controlling population and maintaining an ecological balance
• Intragenerational equality: An equality within and between the nations by such type of technological development which will support economic growth of the poor countries so as to reduce the wealth gap between the nations. It will also provide equal opportunity to use natural resources for all.
change will fall disproportionately on the poor in current generations, and on future generations who are less responsible for greenhouse gas emissions as they
accrue.
o In spite of knowing that gasoline run vehicles lead to the destruction of natural resources, is
it right for us to continue manufacturing and using them?
o Are the guidelines which are drawn to protect the environment and nature any effective? What is causing their failure?
Ethical theories and Environment
• Religion: Most religions encourage the ideas of protecting the environment or preserving nature. In some religions, certain plants or animals, rivers and
How to maintain Environmental Ethics:
• Equitable utilization of natural resources.
• Equity among the people of rural and urban areas.
• Conservation of resources for future generations.
• Environmental rights of animals.
• Environmental education.
• Conservation of traditional value systems.
• Prevention of unnecessary harm to animals
• Prevention of eco-terrorism.
• Use of eco-friendly items.
• Keeping the environment neat and clean.
• Environment Impact Assessment
• Community participation in protecting environment.
81 ©Vision IAS
mountains etc. are worshiped considering them as sacred or symbols of a particular deity. This shows that disrespecting the rights of animals and other non-human entities is against religious morality.
• Anthropocentric Ethic: It is a part of utilitarian ethics. It claims that all the direct moral obligations we possess, including those we have with regard to the environment, are owed to our fellow human beings. The environmental concerns are only because of the way they affect human beings. For exa mple, pollution diminishes health, resource depletion threatens standards of living, climate change puts human lives and livelihood at risk. Quite simply then, an anthropocentric ethic claims that we possess obligations to respect the environment for the sake of human well-being and prosperity.
o The existing traditions of Environmental ethics are anthropocentric as it claims non-human
'nature/ecosystem' to have only "instrumental" value as a means to human well-being.
• Deep Ecology: According to this eco-philosphy, humans should broaden their idea of 'self' to include other life forms, it is about realizing ecological consciousness. It provides 8 basic Principles:
o Intrinsic value of both human and non-human life on Earth.
o Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of these values and are also values in themselves.
o Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs.
o The flourishing of all life and cultures is compatible with a substantially smaller population.
o Present human interference with the non-human world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening.
o Policies must therefore be changed.
o The ideological change will be mainly that of appreciating life quality rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living.
o Obligation directly or indirectly to try to implement the necessary changes.
• Virtue Ethics: It includes a certain range of excellences of character that are constitutive of a good human life:
integrity, sensitivity, courage, loyalty, good judgment, and so on. They determine how we relate to the non‑human world as well, for example, with sensitivity and compassion towards other sentient beings.
No comments:
Post a Comment