Course Syllabus

(Print Version)

 

Environmental Philosophies & Ethics

EVR 3020

CRN 10145

Home Page / Honors / Schedule / Cases

Online Class

Instructor

Edward T. Wimberley, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Florida Gulf Coast Univeristy

Note: Dr. Wimberley is available for consultation by appointment only. Consultation available by telephone, Facetime, Zoom or Skype.

9-Noon Thursday by Phone (239.405.4164 ) Skype, Zoom or Facetime

twimber@fgcu.edu

 

Plagiarism Warning

Course Summary and Objectives

Over the past three decades a new area of philosophical study has emerged — environmental philosophy. Philosophers have turned to the environment in practical response to the multitude of ecological problems modern industrial society has spawned. This course will examine several such pressing environmental issues, principally employing pragmatic philosophical methodologies. After having pragmatic approaches to environmental philosophy and policy we will survey the major approaches philosophers and theoreticians have adopted to address a range of environmental problems. This will take us through an inquiry regading anthropocentrism and the concept of “moral community,” i.e., the realm of objects (human “persons”, members of other species, places, things) entitled to moral consideration. We will also examine several so-called ‘radical’ ecological movements whose proponents maintain that the only way to resolve the current spate of environmental problems is by fundamentally transforming modern society and revising how we look at the human-nature relationship. This course will also consider issues of environmental justice and the environmental perspectives of indigenous peoples. Finally, the course will also explore the impact of two key economic philosophers (A.F. Hayek and John Maynard Keynes) upon our modern attitudes toward sustaining the environment.

Objectives include:

  1. Acquainting students with the "history" of ideas from which historical and modern environmental philosophies and ethics emanate. 
  2. Equiping students with critical thinking skills required to analyze complex environmental / ecological issues and to make informed ethical decisions.
  3. Providing students with systematic tools for pragmatically analyzing and comparing various options for action in terms of their ethical implications and consequences.
  4. Enabling students to more consistently replace uncritical bias with reflective consideration in weighing issues of ethical concern.
  5. Familiarizing students with economic theory and philosophy as they relate to our modern attitudes toward sustaining the environment.
  6. Introducing students to the issues associated with environmental justice.
  7. Acquainting students with indigenous perspectives on the environment.
  8. Enabling student to utilize the APA documentation method to reflect where they draw the material they incorporate into their written assignments.

Environmental Philosophy and Ethics is an Honors Embedded Course:

Honors Embedded Courses (HECs) are “embedded” in upper-division departmental classes where students can earn Honors credit in the course by completing a set of enriching activities/opportunities that are listed on the syllabus.  They are similar to Honors Contracts, but the embedded Honors activities are designed in advance by the instructor and listed on the syllabus. Thus, it is not a separate course or section, but rather an “embedded” Honors cohort.  The embedded Honors activities can be individual or group work.  In this course Honors activities are individual and are found in the page link above entitled "Honors." There interested students will find the additional assignments and activities that will qualify them for receiving honors recognition in this course.

A few important points about HECs are:

  • Faculty offering an Honors Embedded Course list the related assignments/activities in a section on the course syllabus and point them out while discussing the syllabus with the class (see the "Honors" link above). 
  • Instructors are encouraged to allow any interested student to do the embedded Honors activities, not just Honors students. 
  • Any student successfully completing the Honors embedded activities will earn Honors credit for the course, even if they are not enrolled in the Honors College.

Text and Course Requirements

Attfield, Robin (2018) Environmental Ethics: A Very Short Introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Wimberley, Edward T. (2009) Nested Ecology: The Place of Humans in the Ecological Hierarchy. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN-10: 0801892899

Wimberley, Edward T. and Pellegrino, Scott (2014) Ecopragmatics. Champaigne-Urbana, IL: Common Ground Publishing.
Wimberley, Edward T. (2019) Homegrown Ecopragmatics. Champaigne-Urbana, IL: Common Ground Research Network.
James, Christine Anne (2013) Deep Green Delusion: Vitalism and Communal Autarky. Melbourne, Australia: National Library of Australia Catalogue Publivation.

Comprehensive Exam
 The competency exam will consist of either a set of essay questions or a case study problem handed out during the final class meeting. Exam answers should be prepared with the same care you would take in writing a term paper. Exams will be graded on the basis of grammatical quality (sentence structure, punctuation, spelling), as well as substantive quality. There will also be a strict page limit. You will have one week to complete the exam. All exam answers must be written in Word or in a Rich Text Format and submitted to the instructor by Canvas email submission. Homework must include the assigned questions followed by the answers. All submissions of exams and homework shall specifically tell the instructor the title of the assignment being submitted and this should appear in the Subject box of the email message. No homework may be turned in by typing it directly into the memo field of the email or submitted via any other email address to the instructor.

Zoom or Microsoft Teams Meetings

Periodically throughout the semester the instructor will schedule Zoom or Teams meetings to provide students an opportunity to ask questions or to inquire in more regarding a topic or topics of interest. These meetings are entirely voluntary on behalf of the student.

Attendance & Homework

Students are expected to attend each class session and demonstrate doing so by turning in the homework for the class session on time. Students who miss three consecutive classes without permission from the instructor will be urged to withdraw from the class or receive a failing grade. The principle purpose of weekly homework is to insure students read the assigned materials, view videos and show up in class prepared. Students who regualarly do so and submit thoughtful work cited and referenced in APA style can generally expect to recieve full credit for their work. Students participating in class sessions will, on a weekly basis, prepare their homework assignments and post their responses on Canvas email by 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday evening immediately following each on-campus class meeting.  However, all reading assigned for each class session must be completed prior to the beginning of each class meeting on campus to insure that all students are prepared to participate in the class discussion. All posted attachments must be in Word or rich text format.  Content written into or cut and pasted into the memo-field of the drop box will not be graded, nor will content submitted to the instructor via university email. All work must be attached as a Word or rich text format document. The instructor will only review and grade the responses and the homework posted Canvas email as an attachment. Any work mailed in from any other email source - even if mailed to the instructor's Canvas email address - will not be graded, in part because email sent from any external email address (i.e. Outlook, Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail etc.) simply cannot be recieved at the instructor's Canvas email address. Consequently work sent in frome external web mail addresses will categorically not be accepted or graded.

Typically, students should be prepared to spend 2 - 3 hours of preparation & study for every 1 hour of classroom time. This formula, which applies to general time commitment for both classroom and distant learners, should yield approximately 6 to 9 hours of course effort weekly. Some week's assignments may entail less time investment, while other class periods may entail more effort.  

Minimal technology requierments for this course can be found at this web link: https://www.fgcu.edu/online/studentresources/technolgyrequirements#MinimumTechnology RequirementsforStudents

COVID-19 Information
Campus leaders continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and are prepared to step up mitigation efforts as needed.  Our best line of defense is you.  For the latest information regarding COVID-19 health and safety measures at FGCU, visit the Protect the Nest Page at https://www.fgcu.edu/coronaupdate/.  It is strongly recommended that you follow these steps to decrease your chances of missing class, work, research, athletic events, and other on-campus activities:

  • Become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and get a booster, if able
  • Wear a mask while in indoor locations and where social distancing is not possible
  • Make healthy choices regarding activities you participate in
  • Complete the Veoci app each day prior to coming to campus

Academic Behavior Standards and Academic Dishonesty 

All students are expected to demonstrate honesty in their academic pursuits. The university policies regarding issues of honesty can be found in the FGCU Student Guidebook under the Student Code of Conduct and Policies and Procedures sections. All students are expected to study this document which outlines their responsibilities and consequences for violations of the policy.  The FGCU Student Guidebook is available online at www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/studentconduct/

University Nondiscrimination Statement

Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to ensuring equity and fairness for all University employees, students, visitors, vendors, contractors and other third parties.  As such, the University prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sex (including sexual harassment/assault), gender identity/expression, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or genetic predisposition with regard to admissions, employment, programs or other activities operated by the University.  This prohibition extends to enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Questions or complaints should be directed to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC).  The OIEC’s phone number is (239)745-4366; the OIEC email address is OIEC@fgcu.edu.

Disability Accommodations Services

Florida Gulf Coast University, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the university’s guiding principles, will provide classroom and academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities.  If you need to request an accommodation in this class due to a disability, or you suspect that your academic performance is affected by a disability, please see me or contact the Office of Adaptive Services.  The Office of Adaptive Services is located in the Student and Community Counseling Center building.  The phone number is 239-590-7956 and the email is adaptive@fgcu.edu.  In addition to classroom and campus accommodations, individuals with disabilities are encouraged to create their personal emergency evacuation plan and FGCU is committed to providing information on emergency notification procedures. You can find information on the emergency exits and Areas of Rescue Assistance for each building, as well as other emergency preparedness materials on the Environmental Health and Safety and University Police Department websites.  If you will need assistance in the event of an emergency due to a disability, please contact Adaptive Services for available services and information. 

Student Oberservance of Religious Holidays

All students at Florida Gulf Coast University have a right to expect that the University will reasonably accommodate their religious observances, practices, and beliefs.  Students, upon prior notification to their instructors, shall be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holy day of their faith. Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence. Students shall not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances. Where practicable, major examinations, major assignments, and University ceremonies will not be scheduled on a major religious holy day. A student who is to be excused from class for a religious observance is not required to provide a second party certification of the reason for the absence.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides free counseling and therapy services (including psychiatry) to all FGCU students. Please call CAPS at (239) 590-7950, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to schedule an initial contact appointment.  Visit the CAPS website at www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/healthandsafety/caps/ for more information.  CAPS offers a 24/7 Helpline at (239) 745-3277 (EARS).

Resources for Faculty General Education

Information on General Education program requirements is available online at  https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/

Service-Learning

Information on integrating service-learning into the course and course syllabus is available online at  https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/servicelearning/

Distance-Learning
Information on distance learning courses is available online athttps://www.fgcu.edu/online/

Technology Support

Information to assist students is available online at https://www.fgcu.edu/its/students/

Canvas Learning Management System and Demonstration Site Information on Canvas is available online at https://www.fgcu.edu/canvas/and https://fgcu.instructure.com/courses/7692

Library Resources

Main page:  http://library.fgcu.edu
Tutorials:  https://library.fgcu.edu/tutorials/
Research Guides:  https://library.fgcu.edu/guides
Faculty Support:  https://library.fgcu.edu/facultysupport
Contact Us: https://library.fgcu.edu/askus

Web-Enabled Proctoring

In order to protect the integrity of online assessments, this course may employ web-enabled proctoring technology that will allow for the web-enabled monitoring of exams and quizzes and/or temporary restriction to a designated online testing website, disabling the ability to print, copy, access other applications or move to any other URL for the duration of the assessment. Students must own a computer device and an associated webcam that meet the minimum requirements of the University’s standard remote monitoring system.

Additional information: 

  1. Respondus Monitor overview:http://respondus.com/products/monitor/
  2. Respondus LockDown Browser overview:https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/

Instructor Recordings of Courses

This course may employ technology that will allow for audio and/or video recording of live class sessions.  Class recordings may be made in a physical classroom using webcams or classroom cameras and microphones, as well as in distance classes delivered via Canvas BigBlueButton, MS Teams, or Zoom. This recording technology should be utilized for the sole purpose of enhancing student learning.  It may provide for supplemental student instruction via secure links to recorded session(s,) the live stream of courses, presentations of off-site guest speakers and/or the delivery of course instruction utilizing “flipped classroom” methodologies. Student questions and/or comments may be included as a part of any session being recorded.

Plagiarism Detection Services

Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com or other plagiarism detection services (directly or via a learning management system, i.e. Canvas) for the detection of plagiarism. Turnitin generates a report on the originality of your writing by comparing it with a database of periodicals, books, online content, students' papers, and other published work. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. The use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Usage Policy posted on the Turnitin.com site.

Student Recordings of Courses:
Consistent with new Legislation most recently effective as of July 1, 2021, a student may, without prior notice, record (video or audio) a faculty lecture for the limited purpose of 1) personal educational use, 2) for use in a complaint against the institution, or 3) for use as evidence in a civil or criminal proceeding. Recordings for any other purpose (except as a permitted accommodation) are not permitted. Recordings that are accomplished in such a way as to cause disruption to the learning environment can be prohibited. Such a recorded lecture may not be made public to a third party (i.e. publish) without the faculty member’s prior, written consent. Moreover, students are expressly prohibited from recording any other student in such a manner that personally identifies the student. Some negligible/inconsequential recording of a student’s voice as a by-product of recording will not be deemed a violation of a permitted recording.  

Grading

Final semester grades for this course will be based on several criteria. Throughout the semester, grades will be assigned on a numerical basis. Only in determining the final semester grade will the numerical grades be translated to letter grades. The total possible points amounts to 1000, distributed as follows:

Grade Breakdown

 

Course Requirements

Point Totals

Grade %

     

Course Exam

500 points

50%

 

 

 

Homework

500 points

50%

     

Missing (i.e. nonparticipation or inadequate participation in class activities on Canvas) for 3 classes or more without instructor permission will result in students failing the class. Homework submitted later than 5:00 p.m. on the final date of each class  or submitted somewhere other than Canvas Email will will be considered late homework and will not be credited toward class attendance and participation. The instructor is not obligated to grade your assignments. Distance learning course are considered to operate over a seven day week period. The rationale for this rather strict policy is quite simply that the total volume of the instructor's students in three classes makes it impossible for the professor to keep abreast of the weekly homework unless the student places the homework in Canvas email. Likewise, with many students and courses proceeding simultaneously in distance format the instructor simply lacks the time to search all over the web for your homework.

 

Grading Scale

 

94-100%

A

90-93%

A-

87-89%

B+

84-86%

B

80-83%

B-

77-79%

C+

74-76%

C

70-73%

C-

67-69%

D+

64-66%

D

60-63%

D-

59% and Below

F

 

For students taking this course as a distance learning course, text and case study homework submitted later than 5:00 p.m. on the final date of the class session will will be considered late homework and will not be credited toward class attendance and participation, otherwise homework is due before each class. Distance learning courses are considered to operate over a seven day week period. NOTE: For all students, course assignments and schedule, course objectives, and grading criteria, distributions and weights may change as circumstances dictate and at the discretion of the instructor.

Attendance Policy

Attend class weekly online, participate in class, and submit homework on a regular basis. Students must participate fully during each class session. Attendance is also measured in terms of turning in homework in a timely fashion. In every case, students must answer weekly assigned questions and post their responses to all questions before class commences weekly. Students failing to log on to the course lesson board and successfully submit their homework on a weekly basis will fail the course.   Missing (i.e. nonparticipation or inadequate participation in class activities on Canvas via email) for 3 classes or more without instructor permission will result in students being failed in the class.

From time to time students may be required to attend one or more personal conferences with the instructor. Whenever feasible, the consultation should happen in person at FGCU. However, if distance proves to be an obstacle then students may be required to meet at an off-campus location or to schedule and attend a telephone conference with the instructor. These conferences contribute toward the student's attendance and participation grade. Students do not have the option of not attending conferences when the instructor so instructs them to. Students failing to attend conferences can expect to experience a significant reduction in credit for their participation and attendance portion of the grade, or may be awarded an incomplete grade that can revert to an F if the student continues to refuse participating in a student/faculty conference.

Finally, it is important for all students to remain cognizant that all of their interactions with the instructor must maintain a civil, respectful and cordial tone. Incivility, rudeness and disrespect directed toward the instructor will not be tolerated. Students may be asked to withdraw from the class if they cannot honor this expectation, and can expect to see significant deductions to the attendance and participation portion of their grade.

Consequently, attendance and participation consists of (1) regular online and weekly classroom attendance in the class (2) regular online and classroom participation in the class as demonstrated by the regular and timely submission of complete homework / exams and the demonstrated capacity to convince the instructor that one has read all text and web assignments and is prepared to discuss them in class, (3) regular and appropriate posting of homework on Canvas email appropriate format, (4) meeting all criteria for homework submission, such as use of APA citations and references, (4) prompt attention to email and telephone messages from the instructor, (5) attendance and civil participation in all scheduled consultation meetings. The instruction may schedule periodic discussion meetings using Zoom. Failure to comply with any of these factors will result in a reduction in credit for this portion of the course at the discretion of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

All assignments must include citations for each question sufficient enough for the instructor to determine where the answers were drawn from, as well as complete references at the end of each question set. Citations and references must be in APA style. I will expect every student to be familiar with this approach since it is taught in virtually every middle school and high school in the U.S. So, in the interest of not losing any course credit and to insure you don't find yourself plagiarizing any of your work, you would be strongly advised to purchase this book and learn how to cite and reference appropriately from the onset.Answers and questions must be included in homework, to include the correct numbering of assigned questions. Any work that has been copied verbatim from a source or that has been "cut and pasted" as responses to questions will be ignored. Such verbatim responses included in work that is not fully cited and referenced will be considered to be plagiarized and the student will receive an F for the course. All work submitted must be written in the student's own words.

APA Documentation Method:

I strongly encourage every student to take the time to complete the following online APA Citation and Reference Tutorial. One of the objectives of this class is that you learn how to use the APA documentation style. You can learn everything you need to know about how to use this method by studying the fmaterial at the following sites. Please understand that any of your discussion questions or your student presentation papers that are lacking in complete APA styled documentation will be returned to you and will not be graded until they are in order.

APA Documentation Aids:

Tips for Writing Research Papers in APA Style

Purdue University: Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format

APA Citation Styles - University of Toledo

APA Style Sheet (Cornell)

Quick Guide APA Style

APA Guide to Electronic Resources

APA Style for Videos

APA Style for Court Decisions

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding APA Style

NOTE: If you have questions or issues that could get in the way of you completing any of your assignments you should contact the instructor by telephone at 239.405.4164. Dr. Wimberley is available virtually any time 24/7 to assist you if the issue you are working with serves as an immediate impediment of your completing your work.