Philosophy

• Environmental philosophy


  Discipline that studies the moral relationship of human beings with the environment and its non-human contents
• Human person in the environment

  • Philosophers believe that the human person has the ability to change the environment to suit their purposes
  • Humankind is a part of the world, and we significantly affect our environment in the same way that changes in our environment affect us
• Three major views on the relationship between humanity and the environment

  • Anthropocentrism
  • Biocentrism
  • Ecocentrism
• Anthropocentrism


  Focuses on the significant role of humankind in the world and considers nature as the means by which humans are able to meet their needs and survive
• Biocentrism


  Believes that humans are not the only significant species on the planet, and that all organisms have inherent value and should be protected
• Ecocentrism


  Places great value on ecosystems and biological communities, and believes that humankind is part of a greater biological system or community and that we have a significant role as stewards or guardians of nature
• Environmental Aesthetics


  Philosophical view that believes maintaining order in the environment will bring out the natural beauty of the surroundings and contribute to the well-being of the people and other organisms
• Sustainable development


  Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future generation
• Three important principles of sustainability

  • Environmental integrity
  • Economic efficiency
  • Equity
• Environmental integrity


  Maintaining the state of the environment, so that human activities do not disrupt the ecosystem and human communities located in the area
• STOP KALIWA DAM, SAVE OUR FUTURE!
• Economic efficiency


  Prudence in decision-making regarding the use of resources to ensure that there is minimum to zero waste
• Prudence


  The ability to regulate one's actions and behavior
• Frugality


  Being thrifty with the use of one's resources
• Equity


  Using natural resources in such a manner that they are conserved so that the next generation will be able to use them
• Theories in radical ecological philosophy

  • Deep ecology
  • Social ecology
  • Ecofeminism
• Deep ecology


  Assumes that all living things possess equal value and intrinsic worth regardless of their usefulness or utility to other beings, and experiences ourselves as part of the living earth and finding our role in protecting the planet
• Social ecology


  Believes that ecological problems can be traced to social problems, where societies structured around hierarchies and economic classes use their authority to dominate natural resources and exploit the environment for profit and self-interest
• Ecofeminism


  Assumes that the male-centered view of nature is the root cause of ecological problems, and that to address environmental problems, humanity has to remove the superior vs. inferior in human relations, and that a society that tolerates the oppression of women is directly linked with its tendency to tolerate the abuse of the environment and the degradation of nature
• Prudence


  The capacity to direct and discipline one's activities and behavior using reason, and the behavior that is cautious and, as much as possible, keeps away from any risks
• Frugality


  The quality of being thrifty, the careful supervision of one's resources, and the cautious management of material resources, especially money
• How can frugality help in solving environmental problems?
• Society


  An organized group of people whose members interact frequently and have a common territory and culture
• Society


  A companionship or friendly association with others, an alliance, a community, or a union
• The human person by nature is a "social being"
• Throughout a person's life, he or she experiences a variety of relationships that help shape him or her as a person
• Society and its various aspects provide support that ensures the development of the human person
• Society also provides opportunities to further growth in the coming years
• Philosophers consider society


  The product of deliberate actions by individuals who come together in pursuit of a common goal
• As individual persons, members of society are able to transform themselves and attain development through their interactions within society
• Humans are also able to influence society through their actions
• Social Contract Theory


  A theory that studies the natural laws that govern human societies
• Enlightenment philosophers who tackled the origins of human society


  • Thomas Hobbes
  • John Locke
  • Jean Jacques Rousseau
• Hobbes' Social Contract Theory


  • Persons in their natural states are governed by their desires and those often lead to conflict with their fellowmen
  • Society is a means by which people seek to control their natural tendencies and impose order
  • Individuals who establish societies enter into a "social contract" - an agreement where individuals sacrifice an amount of their freedom and submit to a higher authority
• Locke's Social Contract Theory


  • Persons in their natural states are more cooperative and reasonable, and that society is formed through the consent of the individuals that organized it (consent of the governed)
  • Locke's social contract is a covenant among individuals to cooperate and share the burden of upholding the welfare of the society
  • People have the rights to overthrow a failed government
• Rousseau's Social Contract Theory


  Advocate the concept of "general will" - the assumption that the people have empowered the government to act on their behalf, and that it is considered to be the best judge of what is most beneficial for society
• Rawls' Social Contract Theory


  • Human beings approach social cooperation in a rational manner in order to meet their individual self-interests
  • Introduced the concept of original position in which he imagined humans as having a "veil of ignorance" - no knowledge of one's own characteristics such as gender, race or social status. In this state, humans would naturally seek a just and fair society to look out for their own interests
• Although there are variations on the social contract theory, a common feature they all have is that different individuals enter into a kind of agreement with one another to form a society
• Individual members put aside their self-interest in order to create a community where they may live in harmony with others
• Common good


  The social conditions which enable persons and groups to fulfill their goals and achieve well-being