due 3 hours ASAp pages

PHL273 - Environmental Ethics

Philosophy 273 T/R 1:00pm-2:30pm

BB COLLAB All classes will be recorded (except

“discussion classes” – see below)

Jordan Thomson Jackman Humanities Building 432

[email protected] Office Hours: Tuesday, 2:30pm (In our BB

Collab room) or email me for an appointment.

Course Description When we think about morality, we usually think about obligations we have to other human beings. But we have relationships to all kinds of other things, including non-human animals and the planet we share with them. These relationships raise ethical questions of their own: Do non- human animals have rights? Is the environment valuable in itself or only in virtue of its benefits to humans? How should we resolve conflicts between our duties to human beings and those we may have to the environment which sustains them? In this course, we will examine these issues.

Readings There are no books to buy. I will distribute all readings electronically via Quercus.

Methodology and Expectations This is a philosophy course. This means that our readings will feature people arguing for positions on controversial questions. I do not expect you to have any experience reading or writing philosophy, nor do I expect you to be familiar with the course material. However, I will be asking you to write philosophical papers. That is, I will be asking you to do what the people you are reading are doing, namely arguing for a position on a philosophically interesting and controversial matter. We will spend some class time talking about how to do this well.

Some of our class meetings have been designated “Discussion Classes” (see the reading schedule). These are classes I have set aside for discussion. There are no readings to do for these classes and no new material will be covered. Instead, it is your chance to come and ask questions about the material we have covered so far. I do this for a number of reasons. For one, it gives us a bit of a break in what will be a very busy semester. For another, it allows you to ask questions that did not occur to you during the class time. Note that in order to encourage those who feel uncomfortable asking questions in recorded lectures, I will NOT be recording these discussion classes.

Grading Breakdown

Assignment Type Total

Short Essay 1 (3-4 pages) Due February 14 25% or 35%

Short essay 2 (4-5 pages) Due March 28 25% or 35%

Final Exam (Take home) Due April 20 40%

Grading/Essay Notes 1. The essay on which you do best will count for 35% of your final grade, the other will

count for 25% 2. Your essays must be uploaded to Quercus. 3. Late papers from students who have not received an extension will be docked 0.25

percentage points for each day late.

Teaching Assistants C Dalrymple-Fraser (they/them) – [email protected] Nate Oppel (he/him) – [email protected] Chris Longley – [email protected]

Email Policies 1. When possible, ask questions about course material in class or office hours. Something that

takes 4 or 5 minutes to explain in person can take more than half an hour to type in an email. Speaking in person is also much more effective: misunderstandings can be cleared up easily and follow-up questions can be dealt with immediately.

2. Always use your university email address for course business. 3. Place “PHL273” at the beginning of your email subject line. Your email is far less likely to get

lost in the shuffle if you do.

School Policies and Regulations I am committed to honoring all school policies pertaining to the accommodation of students with disabilities, regulations pertaining to sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination, and observance of religious holidays. If observing any religious holidays will prevent you from attending a class or meeting one of our deadlines, please let me know within the first two weeks of our semester and arrangements will be made.

Academic Integrity The school (and I) take academic integrity very seriously. Punishments can be very harsh for any and all forms of academic misconduct, including, but not limited to, plagiarism. All students are expected to understand which actions constitute violations of academic integrity and must adhere to all school policies on the subject. As such, all sections of the school’s website on academic integrity are required reading for this course. The relevant information can be found here: http://academicintegrity.utoronto.ca

Some Important Dates - For More, Visit: https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/dates-deadlines/academic-dates

February 14: First essay due March 15: Last day to cancel S courses March 28: Final essay due. April 20: Take Home Final Due

Writing Support for Students The Philosophy Department offers an essay clinic for all undergraduates enrolled in a philosophy course. Want to discuss a draft of your essay? This is the place to go. Unfortunately, your TA simply does not have time to read drafts. http://undergraduate.philosophy.utoronto.ca/philosophy-essay-clinic/

Language Support for Students Whether you are an ESL student or simply want to improve your English language skills, check out the English Language Learning resources available to all UofT students enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Information is available at the following website: http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/advising/ell

Other Support for Students UofT offers support services of many kinds, including support for mental health, housing crises, sexual assault, and financial distress. If you need help, please ask for it. There are good people ready and waiting to offer assistance. For more information, visit the following website: http://studentlife.utoronto.ca/feeling-distressed