Philosophy

INTRINSIC VALUE PRAGMATISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS “It [adequate environmental ethic] claims that there are many kinds of value found in holistic ecological systems − e.g., diversity, stability, beauty − and that all these contribute to arguments for environmental preservation.” “…intrinsic value is nothing but a disguised anthropocentrism…” as cited in Katz. Neither ontologically discrete entities do not exist nor independent ... Read More »

PRAGMATISM IN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS Instrumental value can not be a base for environmental ethics. One can not justify his environmental acts according to the instrumental values exist. As Eric Katz state: Although an environmental ethic must be based on a plurality of instrumental natural values and on specific analysis of concrete ecological systems, it can not be grounded on the ... Read More »

“Preserving an endangered species or ecosystems poses no special conceptual problem when the instrumental value of that species or ecosystem is known.” This idea is very problematic. If it is so, there is no need to discuss the justification of environmentalist movements. We have to decide which individual, species, ecosystem in what degree possesses the properties that makes it instrumentally ... Read More »

Defining “Value” According to Harman “A normative theory of value might include an account of when something’s being the case would or would not be a ‘good thing’, a ‘worthwhile thing’, or a ‘desirable thing’”. Although this is one of the definitions of value theory− a normative one− it is sufficient for us to understand what “value” is. I say ... Read More »

Defining “Intrinsic” Intrinsic as cited in princeton.edu webpage, It is “belonging to a thing by its very nature; ‘form was treated as something intrinsic, as the very essence of the thing’ according to John Dewey” . This definition is not so different from our definitions, what we can consider at first glance. However, the term “intrinsic” must be defined more ... Read More »

Then, what is good? Good is good. However there must be relative estimation that we can say this is intrinsically good and has some greater value than something else in question. As Moore states: It was necessary for Ethics to enumerate all true universal judgments, asserting that such and such a thing was good, whenever it occurred. But, although all ... Read More »

“I am by no means a great admirer of Nietzsche; and I do not at all admit the truth of his view that “Christian morality is a morality of slaves, and that we have to advance to a new morality which shall be that of masters.” According to Bernard Williams, theory of ethics can be defined as “a philosophical structure, ... Read More »

It is necessary to understand environmental ethics. According to Holland, environmental ethics “debates how to balance the claims of present and future, human and non-human, sentient and non-sentient, individuals and wholes. It investigates the prospects for a sustainable relationship between economic and ecological systems, and pursues the implications of this relationship with respect to social justice and institutions.” Every species ... Read More »