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Climate Ethics and Ethical Dilemmas (PHIL90029)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
September
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | September |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject will introduce you to the challenging philosophical issues raised by climate change. We will cover some of the following questions: is climate change a Tragedy of the Commons? Do our individual GHG emissions do harm? If they do not, do we have any reason to restrain our emissions? What is the non-identity problem, and how seriously should we take it? Does climate change have differential impacts on women and people of colour, and if so, what implications does that have for climate responsibilities? How should the burden of reducing global emissions be shared among states? What is the precautionary principle, and what does it tell us to do about climate change? What is the relative importance of action against climate change compared against other morally important goals? What (if anything) is wrong with geoengineering? What psychological obstacles get in the way of individual action on climate change? In this subject you'll learn both how to defend and criticize arguments relating to climate ethics and environmental activism, and how to articulate what actions might be required of individuals, companies, and states to mitigate climate change.
Please note: this is a research seminar, not a lectured course. We'll read two papers per session and discuss them together, structured around brief student summaries & criticisms.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who complete this subject will:
- Understand philosophical treatments of our moral obligations to preserve the environment and appreciate the difficulties associated with weighing environmental obligations against competing obligations and permissions;
- Have learned to integrate perspectives from ethics with perspectives from climate science, political science and economics in addressing one of the most important moral, political, technological and economic challenges facing the world in the 21st century;
- Have developed critical and creative skills in analyzing and providing empirically informed responses to some of the complex ethical dilemmas generated by climate change.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
This subject is available to students admitted into any Masters by Coursework programme at the University of Melbourne.
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
A short answer essay
| Mid semester | 20% |
A final essay
| End of semester | 80% |
Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- September
Principal coordinator Holly Lawford-Smith Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 2 x 2 hour seminars per week for 6 weeks. Students will be expected to read two papers in advance of each seminar. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 14 September 2020 to 30 October 2020 Last self-enrol date 23 September 2020 Census date 2 October 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 30 October 2020 Assessment period ends 27 November 2020 September contact information
Time commitment details
170 Hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Subject readings will be available online
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Geography Informal specialisation 100 Point Master of Arts (Professional and Applied Ethics) Informal specialisation 200 points Master of Arts (Professional and Applied Ethics) - Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Last updated: 3 November 2022