LNCE10417 Open Air Wisdom and Deep Ecology - Environmental Ethics and Politics (Spring 2020)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Optional course, relevant to school.

Absolute requirements

Higher Education Entrance Qualifications.

Applicants with Certificate of Upper Secondary Education from other than the Nordic countries can be granted dispensation from the requirement of proficiency in the Norwegian language on condition of documented proficiency in the English language, cf. Regulations for Admission to Study Programmes at Østfold University College, section 3.

Lecture Semester

Spring

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

The student

• knows how climate change and environmental changes have influenced worldviews, ethics and politics

• knows different models and approaches in environmental ethics and worldviews

• knows the ideas of Norwegian Deep-ecology

• knows how civil society and educational professionals can contribute to a more substantial thinking and praxis both at the individual level and in politics.

• knows outdoors education, wilderness camping and other methods used in environmental education (in Norway)

Skills

The student

• can recognize and display different ideas of ecological thinking and praxis in professional and civil life

• can conduct and analyse environmental discourses

• can teach Green worldviews, environmental ethics, and green political ideas.

General competence

The student

• can develope a critical and ecological awareness towards worldviews, ethics and political ideas.

• can recognize and use adequate language, models, methods as a tool to displaying ecological citizenship

Content

Global and local environmental challenges, Environmental history, Environmental ethics, Green politics, Eco-theology and Eco philosophy. Environmental education, Outdoor Education, transformative practice.   

Climate change, environmental problems and globalisation have challenged traditional perspectives in politics, ethics and religion. This 'green enlightenment' sometimes referred to as 'an ecological cultural paradigm shift', has created new perspectives and new values in established worldviews and in ethics.  This 'global green enlightenment', and how scholars have and can contribute in it, is the object of this course. This course is interdisciplinary and addresses teachers, social workers and other professionals engaged in the greening of society. During the course, the students will experience both indoors academic discussions and outdoors education in Norwegian nature.        

Forms of teaching and learning

Lectures, workshops, projects, assignments

Groups of varying sizes and individual work.

Outdoors education including camping in Norwegian wilderness.

In and out of classroom, projects in society (in public sector, non-governmental organisations, private sector, schools and religious institutions).

Workload

Approximately 20 hours pr week. May vary throughout the semester.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

The following required coursework must be approved by teacher before the student can take the exam:

1. Approved attendence of minimum 80 %.

2. Compulsory environmental trip and outdoor education excursion.

3. A written individual report (approximately 2000 words) on a given problem formulation.

Examination

Home exam (3 days, approximately 3000 words) on a chosen problem formulation on ecological citizenship (written in English or a Scandinavian language).

Marks A-F. A indicating excellent, and F indicating fail.

Examiners

Internal examiners.

Course evaluation

Throughout the course.

Literature

The readinglist may be subject to change before the semester starts.

Selected articles from Environmental Ethics: An Anthology, edited by Andrew Light and Holmes Rolston III, Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2003.

• Attfield, Robin. «Saving Nature, Feeding People, and Ethics» 463-471.

• Callicott, J. Baird. «A Critique of and an Alternative to the Wilderness Idea» 437-443.

• Callicott, J. Baird. «The Case Against Moral Pluralism» 203-219

• Singer, Peter. «Not for Humans Only: The Place of Nonhumans in Environmental Issues» 55-63

• Taylor, Paul W. «The Ethics of Respect for Nature» 74-84.

Boff, Leonardo. Ecology and Liberation: A New Paradigm. Maryknoll , NY: Orbis, 1995

Bramwell, Anna, Ecology in the 20th Century: A History. London: Yale University Press, 1992

CPCE (Community of Protestant Churches). Stand up for Justice: Ethical discernment and Social Commitment of the Protestant Churches in Europe, translated by Elaine Griffith. Godensberg: CPCE, 2012

Dubos, René Jules. So Human an Animal. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1968.

Echlin, Edward P. The Cosmic Circle: Jesus and Ecology. Dublin: Columba Press, 2004.

Kungh, Hans , A Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics. NY- Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1998

Nelson, C. 2006. Ecofeminism vs. Deep Ecology, Dialogue, San Antonio, TX: Saint Mary's University Dept. of Philosophy

Næss, Arne. 1989. Ecology, Community and Lifestyle: Outline of an Ecosophy Translated by D. Rothenberg. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Reed, Peter and David Rothenberg ed.: Wisdom in the Open Air, The Norwegian Roots of Deep Ecology. Minneapolis: University of  Minnesota Press, 1993.

Rhonheimer, Martin. Natural Law and Practical Reason: A Thomist View of Moral Authonomy , trans. Gerald Malsbary. New York, NY: Fordham University Press, 2000

Rønnow, Tarjei: Saving Nature - Religion as Environmentalism, Environmentalism as Religion. Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2011.

Santmire, H. Paul. «Partnership with Nature According to the Scriptures: Beyond the Theology of Stewardship». In Environmental Stewardship: Critical Perspectives-Past and Present, edited by Robert James Berry, 253-272. New York: T & T Clark, 2006

Stephen, Buckle. «Natural law». In A Companion to Ethics, edited by Peter Singer, 161-175. Massachusetts: Blackwell Reference, 1995.

United Nations. Our Common Future. http://conspect.nl/pdf/Our_Common_FutureBrundtland_Report_1987.pdf

United Nations. «Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development », Rio de Janeiro:  1992. http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf151/aconf15126-1annex1.htm

United Nations. «The Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change»  Paris 2015.http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf,

White, Lynn jr. «The historical roots of our ecologic crisis». In Science volume 155, nr. 3767.10.Mars.1967:1203-1207. http://www.drexel.edu/~/media/Files/greatworks/pdf_fall09/HistoricalRoots_of_Ecolo gicalCrisis.ashx