Ecological Ethics

This course explores how to develop an ecological ethic. There are four (4) units:

• Unit One introduces ethics, and how ecological ethics fits into broader ethical concerns.
• Unit Two introduces basic ecological ethical theories.
• Unit Three identifies major ethical strategies for change.
• Unit Four explores Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, paying attention to how people are persuaded ethically.

Instructor: Scott Dunham (please contact the instructor if you need an up-to-date syllabus)
Note: Students cannot take both PHIL 2206 and PHIL 3208 for credit. Although open to all students, this course does not count toward the Major or Honours requirements for Philosophy students. Students who have previously taken PHIL3206 (Environmental Ethics) online cannot take PHIL 3208 online for credit.

Why take this course?

• Learners are able to explain different ways in which people see the world and express their relationship to it in ethical terms
• Learners encounter a variety of strategic models for promoting an ethical relationship to the world in terms of social and individual perspectives
• Learners develop a sense of how ethics is persuasive, including the importance of communication of ethical ideas

Course details

Students have six months from the registration date to complete the course. All course exams and/or assignments must be completed by the designated end date.

Assignments and examinations

• 5 x Written Assignments (100% total)

There are five (5) written assignments assigned over the four units (Unit One: 5% and 15%; Unit Two: 25%; Unit Three: 25%; and Unit Four: 30%). These assignments are reflection-based: linking the reading topics of each Unit to actual ecological issues or cases. There are no midterm or final exams for this course.

Fees and payments

There is a $150 non-refundable/non-transferable online fee per course in addition to applicable tuition & fees. Learn more about tuition and fees and methods of payment.