Environmental Ethics is one of several courses designed to be "a study of special topics of philosophical interest related to contemporary life with emphases on problem solving and decision making in areas of human life." I intend the course to be inter- or multi-disciplinary in both content and student participation. The course will center around a semester long case study of the Ouachita National Forest and the debate over its proper management. Readings in primary and secondary sources will introduce students to the broader issues of environmental ethics. Students will gain a introductory knowledge of a broad range of issues in environmental ethics and an in depth knowledge of the particular ecological, political, economic, and ethical issues associated with the management of the Ouachita National Forest. Students will gain an increased awareness of the complexity of environmental issues and will have opportunity to become more sensitive to the environmental implications of human actions.
Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac. Oxford, 1949. OBU library on reserve.
Joseph R. Des Jardins, Environmental Ethics. Wadsworth, 1993.
Caldwell & Shrader-Frechette, Policy for Land. Rowman & Littlefield, 1993.
Book Review. Students will write a 3-5 page book review of A Sand County Almanac in which they describe and react to Leopold's perspective on the environment, particularly his proposal for a land ethic. Due January 26.
Exams. A mid term and final exam will cover assigned readings from the other two texts.
Group Project. Groups will research one "view" on the management of the Ouachita National Forest (e.g., logging industry). Groups will produce a written report of their findings and present their findings at a public forum to be held on campus toward the end of the semester. Each group will design a research plan and budget. Money is available for class travel, bringing off-campus speakers to class, photocopying, long distance phoning, inter-library loan, etc. Off campus activities and outside speakers must be coordinated with the class as a whole.