PHIL 320 Outline

THE KING'S UNIVERSITY

TERM:

2020-21 Fall

COURSE NUMBER:

PHIL 320

COURSE TITLE:

Philosophy of the Enviroment

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Joshua Harris

CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION:

credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

A historical and systematic study of the structure and normed character of the various relationships between human beings and their environment. The ethical, aesthetic, or metaphysical ramifications of certain major environmental problems such as pollution, overpopulation, or resource exhaustion will be considered.

Prerequisites: PHIL 230

REQUIRED TEXTS:

All readings will be made available on Moodle as PDFs

MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:


Participation	15%
Weekly Responses	20%
Response Paper	15%
Debate Assignment	20%
Final Paper	30%

	100%

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

To develop an aptitude for connecting theoretical conviction with practical application regarding issues of environmental ethics.
To acquire an appreciation and critical capacity for evaluating rival positions on theoretical and applied environmental philosophy.
To appreciate and understand the interconnectedness of the many aspects of our environmental crisis (e.g., political, cultural, economic, ethical, technological, spiritual, etc.), and the importance of philosophical reflection in “seeing the whole” beyond particulars.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Part I: Diagnosis
1.    Intro (W/F) – What is happening to our common home?
2.    Gospel of creation (M/W)
3.    IS Conference
4.    Gospel of creation (cont.)
Part II: Debates
5.    Resources
6.    Economics
7.    Aesthetics
8.    Workshops for Response Paper (no debates) W/F
9.    Ecofeminism
10.    Indigenous Identity and the Environment
11.    Environmentalism Left and Right (WF Fall Break)
Part III: Looking forward
12.    Laudato Si – Integral Ecology
13.    Ibid – Lines of Approach and Action
14.    Ibid – Ecological Education and Spirituality

Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.