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Climate Change and Ethical Dilemmas (ARTS90031)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2021
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Overview
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This subject integrates perspectives from philosophy, earth sciences, geopolitics, and economics to examine the moral challenges raised by climate change.
Students will review current perspectives and evidence from climate science. They’ll explore fundamental ethical questions raised by climate change – such as our moral duties towards future generations and toward the planet as a whole. They’ll also address climate scepticism and the role of the media and stakeholders in sustaining it.
The core modules of this subject will examine four main topics, where mitigating and adapting to the future effects of climate change generates specific ethical dilemmas.
The first topic is energy policy. The challenge is to determine how we should weigh costs, benefits, risks and uncertainties associated with low pollution solutions such as blue carbon, biofuels and nuclear energy.
The second topic is animals and food. Ethical dilemmas arise when we consider how we should decide which food industries should be promoted to help mitigate climate change. Students will examine the moral duties we may have with respect to animal species, open markets, and individual freedom.
The third topic is urban planning. Students will consider whether we have a duty to create dense, high-rise communities disconnected from nature to reduce emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change within our cities.
The fourth topic is the global South. Students will explore how the burden of reducing global emissions should be shared among states. They’ll also examine whether there is a moral obligation to assist small-island nations or poor and more vulnerable countries and how climate mitigation can be reconciled with the legitimate aspirations to economic development of the global South (and South East Asia more specifically).
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
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
Not available in 2021
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 200 points Master of Arts (Professional and Applied Ethics) Informal specialisation 100 Point 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