COURSE NAME: ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
TEXT BOOK:Environmental Ethics for Canadians 2nded, ed. Byron Williston, Oxford:
Topic: Anthropocentrism and Moral Standing in Environmental Ethics

Formal Specifications:

• 4-6 pages; 1000-1500 words (excluding bibliographic notes)
• MLA citations and document format
• One idea per paragraph.
• Approximately one well-chosen quotation in each paragraph.
• Your assignment should be free of spelling, grammatical, or stylistic errors.
Topic Instructions:

Several theorists claim that human identification with the natural world is required to properly appreciate the moral standing of more-than-human entities. Identify, explain and evaluate the argument given by one of the following philosophers for the claim that changing our self-conception as humans is required in order to act in ecologically ethical ways: Biocentrist Paul W. Taylor, Ecocentrist Aldo Leopold, or Deep Ecologist Arne Naess. After assessing the argument, explain what you think could be done to change our self-conception as humans: what challenges would need to be overcome in order for us to see ourselves differently on a wide scale?