PHIL2165 The Ethical Challenge of Climate Change

This topic is part of the suite of multidisciplinary Grand Challenges topics which focus on a range of complex issues facing the world. Throughout this topic, you will critically examine challenging societal contexts and make recommendations as to how to best tackle them.

This topic will examine the global challenge of human caused climate change. Issues to be discussed include: how to allocate the burdens of climate action between developed, developing and underdeveloped nations; our responsibilities to future generations; understanding the place of human beings in relation to the rest of the natural world; our psychological attitudes towards climate change; the critical assessment of various notion of progress and related notions of human mastery over the natural world.

This topic aims to:

• Gain a broader understanding of global challenges
• Critically examine challenging societal contexts and make recommendations as to how to tackle them
• Provide students with an appropriate grounding in the ethics of climate change

1. Critically analyse challenging contexts
2. Develop and recommend solutions to tackle specific challenges
3. Understand important aspects of the ethics of climate change
4. Express that understanding clearly in writing
5. Effectively participate in group learning on issues in the ethics of climate change