PHIL3221: Philosophy, Climate Change and the Environment

• At least one Level 2 module in Philosophy OR at least one of the following modules: ANTH2241: Environment, Climate, and the Anthropocene; BIOL2581: Research Skills for Biosciences; BIOL2461: Ecology; GEOG2551: Contested Environments; GEOG2571: Reconstructing Environmental Change; GEOG2631: People and Environment - Pattern and Process; GEOG2661: Climate Change: Geographical Perspectives; HIST20P1: Wildlife Conservation in African History; LAW2291: Contemporary Issues in Biolaw

• None

• None

• This module will help students to identify and address important philosophical and socially-relevant challenges related to environmental issues and climate change and (b) use philosophical methods to work out what should be done in response to those challenges.

• A non-exhaustive list of the topics that might be covered in any particular year:
• prominent approaches to environmental philosophy such as biocentrism, ecocentrism, pragmatism, ecofeminism, deep ecology and eco-capitalism.
• philosophical debates about the meanings of key terms such as nature, extinction and the Anthropocene.
• debates about the philosophical significance of environmental phenomena (such as climate change, ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity loss).
• debates about the philosophical significance of relevant practices and policies (such as biodiversity offsetting, de-extinction, decarbonisation, forms of land use, methods of food production, conservation practices, and wilderness preservation).
• the interrelation between environmental science, politics and public sentiment, and its impact on public policy and trust.
• philosophical debates about climate and environmental activism, civil disobedience, and solidarity movements.
• philosophical approaches to climate justice, environmental justice, and indigenous environmental philosophy
• philosophical discussions regarding the ethics of hope, despair, and other moral emotions in the context of climate and environmental change.
• interdisciplinary and philosophical approaches to climate and environmental governance challenges in the international, domestic, and sub-state level context.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of the module, students should have knowledge and understanding of
• the meanings of key subject-specific terms such as biodiversity and 'the Anthropocene
• some important debates in environmental philosophy
• some of the connections between those debates and the research conducted in related disciplines such as environmental politics
• some ways that philosophical methods may be brought to bear on the development and evaluation of environmental practices and policies

Subject-specific Skills:

• The module will help students to
• correctly utilise specialist vocabulary
• grasp, analyse, evaluate and deploy subject-specific concepts and arguments
• locate, understand, assess and utilise relevant sources
• understand some of the relations between environmental philosophy and the research conducted in related disciplines
• bring philosophical methods to bear on the development and evaluation of environmental policies and practices

Key Skills:

• The module will help students to
• express themselves clearly, concisely and in an engaging manner
• comprehend complex ideas, propositions and theories
• defend their opinions by reasoned argument
• seek out and identify appropriate sources of evidence and information
• tackle problems in a creative and clear-sighted fashion
• work collaboratively
• understand the relations between the research conducted in different academic disciplines
• bring philosophical methods to bear upon practical matters

• Structured teaching within seminars will introduce students to the module content and provide a framework for further study. The seminars will give students an opportunity to (a) demonstrate and test their understanding of the module content, (b) defend and debate relevant philosophical positions and approaches, (c) propose alternative positions and approaches, (d) reflect on the relations between environmental philosophy and the research conducted in disciplines such as environmental science and (e) consider how philosophical methods may be brought to bear upon practical problems.
• Guided reading will provide a structure within which students exercise and extend their abilities to make use of available learning resources.
• The formative written assignment will give students an opportunity to enhance their understanding of the module content. It will also help them to present and defend relevant arguments using available learning resources, uninhibited by the need for summative assessment. It will be especially useful for students who have had little prior training in philosophy.
• The group project will help students to (a) enhance their understanding of the modules content through collaborative work, (b) develop their collaborative skills and (c) present complex issues in a clear, concise and engaging manner. The group presentation will test the extent to which (a), (b) and (c) have been achieved. (Students who are unable to contribute orally to the presentation will be given an opportunity to contribute in other ways by, for instance, producing accompanying visual aids such as Powerpoint slides and submitting recorded work, etc. Students who are prevented by circumstances beyond their control from attending class on the day of their groups presentation will be assessed by other means by, for example, their submitting an individual Powerpoint presentation or an individual report.)
• The set exercise will give students the opportunity to develop critical reasoning, communicative, collaborative, and imaginative skills. This multi-faceted skill set is essential for understanding and addressing the range of issues and challenges presented in module content. Such skills are also vital for engagement with these issues beyond the classroom, including as a member of democratic citizenry, as a community member, and in the workplace. The set exercises could include such forms as an "ethics bowl" debate, scenario/role play opportunities, philosophical engagement with current events through public discussion and deliberation, and/or engagement with communities beyond the classroom.
• The summative written assignment will enable students to (a) identify appropriate research sources in the literature of environmental philosophy and related fields, (b) in dialogue with those sources, deepen their understanding of a key issue in environmental philosophy and (c) work out what should be done in response to that issue. It will also test the extent to which (a), (b) and (c) have been achieved.

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our FAQ webpages, Help page or our glossary of terms. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the FAQ, or a query about the on-line Undergraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.