CPT-50806 Global Change and Global Ethics

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Contents:

In recent decades we have observed how the processes of economic and technological globalisation, coupled with continued population growth and the concomitant increase in the consumption of energy and natural resources, have resulted in unprecedented large-scale and sometimes irreversible changes of ecosystems, which, in turn, have had a severe impact on food security, freshwater quality and human health and well-being.
To cope with the causes and consequences of global environmental change strong mitigation and adaptation strategies and technologies are required. The success and sustainability of these strategies and technologies are not only dependent on such criteria as effectiveness and efficiency, but also include criteria like justice and equity. How do various options affect the relations between industrialized and developing countries? What effect do they have on gender relations, and on the relations between the present generation and future generations? Are the outcomes of decision-making about the distribution of costs and benefits of mitigation and adaptation efforts fair? Do people that have a stake in negotiations have equal access to the process of decision-making? Do they have the capacity to participate effectively in these negotiations? In the first part of this course we will turn to global ethics for answers to this kind of questions. We will study the most important approaches within this relatively new branch of applied ethics, such as consequentialism (Peter Singer), deontology (Thomas Pogge), virtue ethics (Matha Nussbaum), and discourse ethics (Jürgen Habermas).
In the second part of this course we will apply insights from global ethics to specific cases. After we have practiced with the case of climate change, 'the quintessential global environmental problem', students will, individually or collectively, have to prepare and present their own cases.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of this course, students are expected to be able to:
- indicate and understand the main global environmental changes and challenges;
- assess and evaluate the various responses to these global challenges from an ethical perspective;
- identify and discuss the various approaches within current global ethics.

Activities:

- lectures;
- guest lectures;
- individual paper (coached);
- discussions;
- doing ethical experiments.

Examination:

- individual presentation (30%);
- essay (70%).
Each component needs a 5.50 or higher to pass.

Literature:

Will be announced before or at the first meeting of the course.