(Answer any twenty questions. Each question carries 1 mark.)
Yes, environmental ethics is a major branch of applied ethics that studies the moral relationship of human beings to the environment.
One major challenge is balancing human developmental needs with the necessity of preserving ecological integrity.
Yes, it is an ethical issue because it causes harm to living beings and violates the right to a healthy environment.
Yes, humans and the environment are deeply interconnected and interdependent.
Environmental pollution leads to health hazards such as respiratory diseases in humans.
The term 'ecology' was coined by Ernst Haeckel.
Murray Bookchin is widely regarded as the father of social ecology.
Ecology is generally divided into Autecology (study of individual species) and Synecology (study of communities).
One core principle is that the well-being and flourishing of non-human life on Earth have value in themselves, independent of their usefulness to humans.
Social ecology focuses on how social hierarchies cause environmental crises, whereas ecofeminism emphasizes the link between the oppression of women and the degradation of nature.
Generally, no; pure anthropocentrism is often viewed as unsustainable as it prioritizes human consumption over long-term ecological health.
While influenced by many, Aldo Leopold (with his Land Ethic) is a central figure in the introduction of ecocentric thought.
Deep Ecology (or Ecocentrism) emphasizes this interconnectedness and the intrinsic equality of all beings.
It is a human-centered view that considers humans as the sole holders of intrinsic value, viewing nature as a resource for human benefit.
Yes, ecocentrism holds that the environment and its ecosystems have value in and of themselves.
Yes, animal ethics is a sub-discipline of applied ethics.
Peter Singer.
The primary concern is the moral status of non-human animals and our ethical obligations toward them.
No; in strict anthropocentrism, animals only have instrumental value relative to human needs.
Yes, because it studies ecosystems as integrated wholes rather than just a collection of parts.
The term was coined by Fritz Jahr (1927) and later popularized by Van Rensselaer Potter (1970).
Yes, bioethics deals with ethical issues arising from advances in biology and medicine.
Yes, medical ethics is often considered a core component of the broader field of bioethics.
Bioethics is primarily an interdisciplinary field of study or a branch of philosophy/ethics, rather than a "natural science" like biology.
One fundamental principle is Autonomy (respecting an individual's right to self-determination).
(Answer any five questions. Each question carries 2 marks.)
Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy that advocates for the intrinsic value of all living beings and calls for a fundamental shift in how humans interact with nature, moving beyond mere resource management.
Social ecology typically examines human-nature relationships, social hierarchies, communalism, and the reconstruction of society along ecological lines.
Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment, including both biotic and abiotic components.
Environmental ethics is the broad field of study, while ecocentrism is a specific theory within that field that places value on entire ecosystems rather than just humans.
(Answer any five questions. Each question carries 8 marks.)
Definition: Environmental ethics is a branch of applied philosophy that studies the moral relationship between human beings and the natural environment.
Scope:
From an ethical perspective, pollution is not just a technical problem but a moral failure.
Definition: Ecofeminism is a movement and philosophy that sees a direct connection between the exploitation of nature and the oppression of women.
Main Concerns:
Anthropocentrism: A human-centered viewpoint that considers human beings as the most significant entities in the universe and the only ones with intrinsic moral value.
| Feature | Anthropocentrism | Ecocentrism |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Value | Human beings. | Ecosystems/Nature. |
| Nature's Status | Resource for humans. | Intrinsic value holder. |
| Focus | Human survival/utility. | Ecological balance/integrity. |
Definition: Bioethics is the study of ethical, social, and legal issues that arise in biomedicine and biomedical research.
Nature: