PSCI 3201 Environmental Policy 092707

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PSCI 3201 Environmental Policy09/27/07

• Historic development of environmental ethics in
  the U.S. context, contd
• B. The range of ethical positions in
  contemporary environmental policy debate

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John Muir (1838-1914)

• Major proponent of the preservationist
  movement, seeing the need to set aside wilderness
  areas where no commercial or industrial activity
  would be permitted.
• Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
  places to play in and pray in, where Nature may
  heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul
  alike.

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John Muir political actions

• Lobbied Congress to establish Yosemite National
  Park (1889-90)
• Creation of the Sierra Club (1892)
• Lobbied against the damming of Hetch Hetchy
  Valley first articulation of the preservation
  argument (early 1900s)

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Gifford Pinchot (1865-1946)

• Advocated conservation, or the wise use of
  natural resources to meet human needs.

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Gifford Pinchot (1865-1946)

• The first principle of conservation is
• development, the use of natural
• resources now existing on this continent
• for the benefit of the people who live
• here now.

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Gifford Pinchot political actions

• First Chief of the U.S. Forest Service
  (1905-1910)
• Oversaw the expansion of national forests (from
  56 to 172 million acres in 5 years)
• Articulated the concept of conservation

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Wise Use

• Wise use as conservation Pinchot advocated
  sustainable harvest of natural resources. He
  promoted the view that resources should be
  scientifically managed so as to protect the
  basic productivity of the land and its ability to
  serve future generations.
• Wise use as antienvironmentalism The term wise
  use has been appropriated in modern times to
  mean opposition to the environmental movement and
  favoring unlimited economic growth.

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Aldo Leopold (1887-1948)

• Developed concepts of environmental ethics and
  advocated for wilderness preservation.

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• Leopolds ecocentric philosophy
• Argument
• Ethics historically encompassed only the
  relationships among humans
• Rules for interactions between individuals
• Rules for human groups, societies
• Ethics needs to be extended to include
  interactions of humans with the natural world

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• Defining a Land Ethic
• The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries
  of the community to include soils, waters,
  plants, and animals, or collectively the land.
• Aldo Leopold
• A Sand County Almanac

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Leopolds Land Ethic

• A thing is right when it tends to preserve
  the integrity, stability, and beauty of the
  biotic community. It is wrong when it tends
  otherwise.

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Characterizing Ethical Positions in the
Environmental Policy Debate

• Layzer suggested an ethical dichotomy
• environmentalists vs. cornucopians
• Alternative conception
• a continuum of ethical positions

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• A Continuum of Ethical Positions Regarding the
  Environment
• Ethical Position Belief
  
• --------------------------------------------------
  ------------------------------
• Utilitarian Nature and resources are
• there to be used
• Conservationist Wise use you use resources,
• but you use them according to
• rules
• Preservationist Protect wilderness in an
• untouched state
• Deep Ecologist Embrace a nonanthropocentric
• approach to protection of
• all species

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Utilitarianism

• Actions are right in proportion as they tend to
  promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce
  the reverse of happiness.
• The rule for social conduct Seek the greatest
  good for the greatest number.
• The rule with regard to the environment Seek
  the greatest good with regard to human wants and
  needs.

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• Deep Ecology
• A philosophy of ecological harmony or
  equilibrium. Moving away from
  human-centeredness.
• Basic principles
• Both human and nonhuman life on Earth have
  intrinsic value
• Humans have no right to reduce the richness and
  diversity of life forms except to satisfy vital
  needs.

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Dimensions of Environmental EthicsA. How we
view humans
Ecocentrism
Anthropocentrism

Anthropocentrism humans are the crown of
creation, above nature Ecocentrism humans are
but one part of the biotic whole
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Dimensions of Environmental EthicsA. How we
view humans
Ecocentrism
Anthropocentrism

deep ecology preservation
conservation utilitarian
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Dimensions of Environmental EthicsB. How we
view nature
Intrinsic value
Instrumental value

Instrumental value we value nature for what it
adds to human existence nature as
commodity Intrinsic value nature has an
inherent dignity aside from its market price
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Dimensions of Environmental EthicsB. How we
view nature
Intrinsic value
Instrumental value

deep ecology preservation
conservation utilitarian