Rational Agents Have A Moral Obligation To The Environment

Submitted By Shadowsubtle
Words: 1824
Pages: 8
Open Document
The University of Notre Dame Australia Ethics – ET 100 “Rational agents have a moral obligation toward the environment” Word count: 1726

While humans undoubtedly constitute part of the environment, it is our intelligence, innovation and rationality that have defined us as the dominant species. These qualities are what enable us to be the only agents that can, and must, protect and conserve the environment as a collective whole. My first argument in justifying my claim is one of an anthropocentric position, that for the sake of our own continued growth and well being we must have an inherent need to care for the environment. I will continue my argument with Aldo Leopold’s environmental ethics, in particular his ‘land ethic’ and ‘land pyramid’. It stands to reason however, that anyone’s position on a matter is subject to challenge or criticism. Taking this into consideration I will explore Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism and it’s potential to challenge my thesis on our moral obligation to the environment. While I find the anthropocentric view selfish in nature, it can be used to great effect to justify my claim. Anthropocentrism puts forward the claim that humans are at the centre of nature, and in order to sustain our existence and continue to advance, every living thing and resource exists solely to serve that purpose (Cochrane, 2007). Yet this does not imply that we should mine every mineral and strip every tree, for if we were to consume and take every resource to meet the demands of our ever advancing and growing civilisation, the planet would be devoid of all resources that humanity cannot exist without. An anthropocentric might well interject here, and perhaps claim that utilising these resources over years and years would allow mankind to develop and advance so much so that other planets that have the potential to sustain life would be subject to colonisation. Such an eventuality is far too vague and complex to be explored in this essay however. If we are truly to sustain our existence then that does not simply involve finding and consuming available resources as we see fit, but to ensure that there will still be adequate resources available for use in the future. It is ironic that the greedy consumption and utilisation of resources have in fact created global problems that not only affect nature, but humanity itself (Gaston, 2005). Consider climate change, a major problem that poses catastrophic consequences to humanity as a whole and is a problem for which humanity is greatly accountable (Andaregg, 2010). For example, the rising ocean levels – a major factor of climate change. In a study conducted by Church and White (2006), ocean levels increased by 17 centimetres throughout the previous century. They deduced however, that in the previous decade alone – 1996 to 2006 – ocean levels rose by twice that number. If we imagine the possible destruction and loss of life that will occur due to circumstances we are responsible for, it can then be said that we would have failed to sustain our existence. In order to secure our existence and the existence of future generations we are obligated to care for and conserve the environment. This does not imply that we should begin living simple, rudimentary lives in order to preserve the environment but rather to take only what is needed, and not to satisfy personal interests or meaningless pursuits of knowledge. So despite the human-centeredness nature of anthropocentrism, it still calls for an inherent need to protect the environment in order to provide prosperity and content for current and subsequent generations. While I have explored and put forth the reasons of an anthropocentric for their obligation to the
Show More

Related Documents: Rational Agents Have A Moral Obligation To The Environment

Lifeboat Ethics Essay

The topic of this essay which I will be discussing is whether the moral obligations of a citizen ought be extended only to national boundaries, and therefore, moral agents have a rational obligation only to people of their own country. My argument in support of this claim is that by donating aid to countries outside our own we are in fact, doing more harm than good in the long run one reason being that we are setting up a countries reliance on aid and the other being that we are potentially inviting…

Words 985 - Pages 4

Essay on Business Moral Responsibility

is, whether businesses have any moral responsibilities at all beyond simply earning as much of a profit as possible for their owners? If you look at it from the business point of view they are only responsible for making a profit. The company is an agent of the shareholders and is responsible only to them, and only for making a profit. Looking at it from the consumer point of view the company is responsible to everyone who has a stake in the operations of that business, that is, everyone who is affected…

Words 1365 - Pages 6

The Role of Ethics Essay

comply fully with the general civil and criminal laws that apply to all individuals and institutions in the country. Ethical responsibilities reflect the company’s notion of right and proper business behavior. Ethical responsibilities are obligations that transcend legal requirements. Firms are expected, but not required, to behave ethically. Discretionary responsibilities are those that are voluntarily assumed by a business organization. Companies that adopt the good citizenship approach actively…

Words 1230 - Pages 5

Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe Essay

and why that might be a problem when learning how to administer them through explore multiple scenarios. The ability to grasp these concepts of laws and completely register why Kant had Insistence on the importance for Absolute Universal laws & obligations as a human being are challenges that take a bold consideration to find their true value. This is sad to say, Although many will fall short of this divine reasoning. Lets grant Anscombe does Appreciate these duties that manifest within her, because after all…

Words 1436 - Pages 6

Salt Lake Olympic Bribery Scandal Essays

I. INTRODUCTION The Olympic Games took place in the United States at Salt Lake City, Utah. The tournament opened on February 8, 2002 and closed on February 24, 2002. There were 77 NOCs, 2,399 athletes, 78 events, 22,000 volunteers and 8,730 of the media. “The Games saw the expansion of the Olympic program to 78 events, including the return of skeleton and the introduction of women’s bobsleighs. Athletes from a record 18 National Olympic Committees earned gold medals, including first-ever gold for…

Words 8631 - Pages 35

Csr Toyota Essay

Friedman states: “The stockholders or the customers or the employees could separately spend their own money on the particular action if they wished to do so. The executive is exercising a distinct "social responsibility," rather than serving as an agent of the stockholders or the customers or the employees, only if he spends the money in a different way than they would have spent it” ( M. Friedman 1970). Another defender of narrow view in corporate social responsibility is famous economist Adam Smith…

Words 1780 - Pages 8

EXAM REVIEW Essay

HRE4M1 EXAM REVIEW 2014 Terms Agent – the person who makes things happen; free but responsible for their actions Aristotle Humans find happiness within community; To be happy is to live well and do well Human activity aims at achieving the good – happiness The highest form of happiness is based on rational behaviour – balanced life Absolute good can only be found in God (found in all things); finding good is finding its purpose Develop good character by acting virtuously Apocalyptic – a style…

Words 2696 - Pages 11

Ethics Midterm Notes

Review – Lecture Notes Lecture 1 What is Ethics? Accepted standards of behavior; practice of those in a profession; laws and expectations of society Definition of Ethics The discipline dealing with what is good and bad, with moral duty and obligation A set of moral principles; a theory or system of moral values; the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group; a guiding philosophy; a consciousness of moral importance A set of moral issues or aspects Reasons to study ethics Simple…

Words 3955 - Pages 16

A Criminal in the Making Essay

interaction in society. The Age of Enlightenment, an intellectual and scientific movement of 18th century Europe, was characterized by a rational and scientific approach to religious, social, political and economic issues. It was during this period, the idea that human beings were self determining entities possessing fundamental freedom of choice, or free will and rational thought was put forward. Once people were seen as having control over their lives, crime was seen as an individualized form of evil…

Words 3495 - Pages 14

Essay about Emotional Ethics

something evaluative about their objects, representing their motivational significance for the agent. Rather, we need to mine human wisdom for the gold standard across time in order to establish “best practices” for the future. In so doing we come to understand that we are social creatures, driven by our emotions whose life force flows into the spaces between us. If we pollute the emotional environment with toxins of dishonesty, anger and greed, we diminish the quality of the atmosphere in which…

Words 1438 - Pages 6