Most students who take this class have some academic and/or vocational education and experience in the environmental sciences. However, many students do not have a background in “philosophy” or “ethics,” and may have a different way of expressing their philosophical reflections upon the primary readings.

The primary readings for this course represent a concise selection of some of the most important writings in the contemporary field of environmental ethics. These writings are important both for their academic and historical value. The purpose for the journal is for the student to do some philosophical reflection on the primary readings themselves (i.e., Leopold, Carson and Naess for the first half of the class). Students do not need to have a philosophical background or use philosophical terminology here. With a bit of background in the following paragraph, the student will have a methodology for the philosophical reflection on the primary readings.

In Greek philosophy going back to Plato, human nature is understood to be “tripartite” (having three parts). Sometimes these parts are given different names, but for our purposes the parts correspond to reason, emotion, and physical activity. This view or description of human nature continues throughout the history of philosophy with Immanuel Kant and his three Critiques, beginning with the Critique of Pure Reason. Modern philosophers such as Paul Ricoeur refer to the three parts of human nature as the rational, affective, and practical aspects. Affective here referring to affections (what attracts or repels us), and practical referring to what is practical to do. We could also call these three parts knowing, feeling, and doing. In basic philosophical reflection we can ask ourselves, what do we know? What do we feel? And what are we doing/going to do?

For the journal, there are no right or wrong answers, but rather simple reflection in relation to the primary readings themselves. The purpose is to reflect on how the primary reading relates to you, rationally, emotionally, and in regard to your physical activity. For the journal entry, you may reflect on one or more of these three aspects after your reading of the primary text. For instance, the first primary reading is Aldo Leopold’s “The Land Ethic” from A Sand County Almanac. For your journal entry you could analyze the reading from a rational viewpoint – does it make sense to you, are there parts of it which do not make sense? Or, you could simply compose your journal entry by reflecting upon how the reading affects you emotionally – again, there are no right or wrong answers here! Or, you could compose your entry based upon your practical activity as it relates to the reading (in this case, how you relate to the “land”; perhaps a particular piece of land) or how humans might change our actions in the future, inspired by the reading. Or, you could compose your entry including a combination of two or all three aspects – your choice! Your journal entry could do the same with Rachel Carson and Arne Naess. You can select one or use all three, but you only need to write 250 words for the initial post, although you can write more.

This is the beginning of philosophical reflection and in one sense, the very beginning of philosophy (at least Western philosophy)! So, keeping in mind our simple diagram below representing the three parts of human nature, let the philosophy begin!

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