Online: July 1-24 Face-to-face: August 6-10
Professor Andrew Light
Department of Philosophy & Evans School of Public Affairs
This class will serve as a foundation for discussion of the overwhelming challenge of environmental degradation and the human responses to that degradation. The course will focus on contemporary environmental, moral and political theories, as well as the general use of philosophical methods in broader environmental questions and policies.
Contact us as soon as possible to apply for Center for Ethics financial assistance if you have financial need.
Dr. Light is a prolific writer, the author of over seventy articles and book chapters and is editor or co-editor of sixteen books in the fields of environmental ethics and policy, philosophy of technology, moral and political philosophy, and aesthetics. He is also a coveted lecturer and speaker, with engagements across Europe and the Americas. His course with us last summer was extremely well received, and one student even composed a song in his honor (called "Andrewsphere").
The course combines a half online, half face-to-face format, which one student last year called "The perfect balance of a variety of teaching strategies!" For all of July you simply follow the readings and join in discussion online when you can (within some parameters to make sure everyone is keeping up). This way everyone develops a broad understanding of the material and issues before coming together in Missoula for the intensive, though not overwhelming, face-to-face portion (August 6-10).
Two additional features that were praised by last year's students were the high caliber of fellow students and the evening events. This year Andrew Light's course has already attracted three young professors from around the country - all with fascinating backgrounds in ecology and environmental ethics themselves - along with graduate students and some professionals who are simply interested in Dr. Light and this topic. The evening events, which are free and open to the public, were also greatly enjoyed by last year's students as a compliment to the courses, with discussions regularly continuing over pints at nearby pubs.
The course can be taken for graduate or undergraduate credit in either Philosophy or Environmental Studies. Costs are deliberately kept low ($120 per credit-hour) for UM students, and some scholarship funds are available.
Later this year and next fall, the Center for Ethics will offer two new on-line environmental ethics courses:
This year, as in 2006, we have organized a series of stimulating evening events (all begin at 7:30 pm except for the August 7 event) featuring our instructors and local and regional experts in fields relating to Environmental Ethics. We also have three lunch talks at 12:30 scheduled. These events are free and open to the public and last year drew an engaging and thoughtful audience of community members, students from The University of Montana, and students who traveled from across the country to attend our Environmental Ethics Institute course.
Short Schedule
| When | Speaker(s) | Title | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 31 | Panel discussion featuring Daniel Kemmis (Center for the Rocky Mountain West), Chrissie McMullan (Grow Montana), Paul Hubbard (Community, Food and Agriculture Coalition) & Ben Minteer (Arizona State University). Moderated by Josh Slotnick (UM Environmental Studies and co-founder of the PEAS Farm). | "Does Agriculture have a Future in Missoula County?" | PEAS Farm |
| Aug. 1 | Ben Minteer (Arizona State University) | "Civic Agrarianism: New Roots for Environmental Ethics" | GBB 123 |
| Aug. 6 | Andrew Light (University of Washington) | "The Future of Environmental Ethics in the age of Global Warming" | GBB 123 |
| Aug. 7 12:30pm | Albert Borgmann (The University of Montana) | "Science, Ethics and Technology: The Challenge of Global Warming" | Dell Brown Room |
| Aug. 7 8pm | Paul Thompson (Michigan State University) | "Placing Place: How Agrarian Philosophy Can Help" - cosponsored by Garden City Harvest | PEAS Farm |
| Aug. 8 12:30pm | Cindy Gilbert (Biomimicry Institute) | "Biomimicry: Nature's Design" | GBB 123 |
| Aug. 8 | Vicki Colvin (Rice University) | “Nanotechnology and the Environment” | GBB 123 |
| Aug. 9 12:30pm | Daniel Fagre (USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center) | "How Glacier National Park Responds to Climate Change: Vanishing Ice as the Legacy of Human Impact on the Planet" | GBB 123 |
| Aug. 9 | Panel discussion featuring Clark Wolf (Iowa State University), Don Brown (Penn State University) and Rebecca Bendick (The University of Montana) | ““Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change” | GBB 123 |
* GBB is the Gallagher Business Building on The University of Montana Campus, room 123 is on the main floor on the south side of the building. The Dell Brown Room is in Turner Hall on the UM campus. The PEAS Farm is located at 3010 Duncan Dr. in the Rattlesnake Valley.
The Center for Ethics at The University of Montana will hold its second annual Environmental Ethics Institute August 6-10. The institute provides a unique opportunity for scholars, students, professionals, and interested citizens to gather in beautiful Missoula, MT to discuss and reflect on environmental issues. The institute consists of two seminars/courses and eight evening lectures/panel discussions. The seminar requires 4 to 5 weeks of asynchronous on-line study prior to the 4 to 5 days of face-to-face contact in Missoula. Students last year loved this format, one commenting that it was "the perfect balance of a variety of teaching strategies!"
Few universities offer a setting with such beauty and recreational resources as The University of Montana. Missoula is a dynamic college town surrounded by mountains. It is located at the confluence of three rivers: the Clark Fork of the Columbia, the Blackfoot and the Bitterroot. The Rattlesnake Wilderness Area is within minutes of campus by bicycle or city bus, and Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks are within easy driving distance.
