Since debates about the environment surfaced in the early 1960's, they have sprouted up everywhere from corporate boardrooms to anarchist chat rooms and presidential elections. In this course, we will take a critical look at some central issues in these debates. Following a selective survey of local and regional problems (e.g., industrial pollution, energy production, waste management, etc.), we will take up some broader philosophical questions about the environment. What are the criteria for membership in the moral community, and do they apply to animals, organic nature, ecosystems or the environment as a whole? If the goal of protecting the environment necessitates changes in our economic, social and political practices, how radical and feasible are those changes? Do science and technology presuppose a violent attitude toward nature? Is there a link between the oppression of women and environmental abuse? Do some social groups bear a disproportionate share of environmental hazards? As positions and perspectives emerge, we will bring them to bear on the problems surveyed at the start of the course. Readings are interdisciplinary but primarily philosophical.
Requirements: class participation, two 2-page responses to readings, one 5-page investigation of a specific environmental problme, field trips, one 10- to 12-page final paper, and possibly the organization of a student conference on the environment. Prerequisites: Philosophy 101 or permission of the instructor.

Hour: BULLWINKLE