NEWS RELEASE from The Center for Ethics, University of Montana
Missoula, MT The Center for Ethics at The University of Montana will hold its third annual Environmental Ethics Institute in early August of 2008. The institute provides a unique opportunity for scholars, students, professionals, and interested citizens to gather in Missoula, MT to discuss and reflect on environmental issues. The institute consists of a 2 day seminar, a 5 day course, and several public lectures/panel discussions. A wide variety of interested individuals-- students, professors, community members and professionals-- will have the opportunity to take part.
What role can philosophy play in meeting the overwhelming challenge of environmental degradation and the human response to that degradation? Has the emerging field of environmental ethics been of use in meeting this challenge, or is philosophy too theoretically oriented to contribute to the resolution of such practical problems? The course, “Environmental Ethics and Policy,” will serve as a foundation for discussion of these issues with a focus on contemporary environmental moral and political theories. The course requires 4 to 5 weeks of asynchronous online study prior 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!" The online section of the course is July 1st — 25th, 2008. The face-to-face portion meets in Missoula Aug 4th — 8th. The deadline for registration is July 3, 2008.
The course instructor, Dr. Andrew Light, is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Public Affairs and Adjunct Professor of Geography and Public Health Genetics at the University of Washington, Seattle. Dr. Light’s primary areas of interest are environmental ethics and policy, philosophy of technology, moral and political philosophy, and aesthetics.
The seminar, “Gender, Health, and the Environment,” explores the interconnections between gender, human health, the natural environment, and social justice in an innovative two-day workshop format that includes group work, individual projects, and outdoor activities. The seminar can be taken for one credit at the graduate or undergraduate level, or as a no-credit workshop for a reduced fee. A new offering in 2008, the seminar will be held over two days Aug 1 & 2. The deadline for registration is July 25, 2008.
The seminar instructor is Dr. Karen J. Warren, author, scholar and Professor of Philosophy at Macalester College. Dr. Warren has written extensively in the fields of critical thinking, environmental ethics and ecofeminism. Warren’s scholarly projects explore the connections between the subordination of women and others, and the subordination of the environment.
Now in its third year, the Environmental Ethics Institute positions the University of Montana on the cutting edge of environmental ethics. Past institutes have included courses and lectures offered by, among others, Holmes Rolston III, Yuriko Saito, Andrew Light, Ben Minteer, and Paul B. Thompson. This year’s institute promises to match this success by inviting prominent scholars to lead engaging, and thought provoking discussions in the course, seminar and evening lectures. Students and concerned citizens of all walks of life are encouraged to join us beautiful western Montana for this exciting event.
Contact Info: Blake Francis
Program Coordinator
The Center for Ethics
(406) 243-5744
Email: blake[dot]francis[at]umontana[dot]edu
Website: www.umt.edu/ethics
Website : The Center for Ethics
The Third Annual Environmental Ethics Institute Offers Summer Course and Seminar in Environmental Ethics
