[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-595458-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-595458-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","environmental-studies-and-utilitarian-ethics-595458","Environmental Studies and Utilitarian Ethics","","Environmental ethicists have concentrated on limits of utilitarianism, often treating utilitarian approaches as an oxymoron in environmental ethics. The paper argues this is misguided because utilitarian ethics can support strong environmental policies and has not been replaced by a contemporary account with comparable appeal. It calls for educators to define environmental ethics more broadly and to teach utilitarian ethics neutrally, enabling graduates of environmental studies and policy programs to understand and participate confidently in policymaking.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/environmental-studies-and-utilitarian-ethics-595458/595458/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/environmental-studies-and-utilitarian-ethics-595458/595458.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Blitz","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",6,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why does the article claim that treating utilitarian environmental ethics as an oxymoron is unfortunate?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It argues that utilitarian ethics can underpin strong environmental policies, even though many environmental ethicists define the field in ways that reject utilitarianism.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What environmental changes does the article describe as morally significant for students?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It highlights projected declines in biodiversity, depletion of marine fisheries, water shortages, eutrophication, tropical forest loss, and climatic warming, emphasizing their ethical implications.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How does the article recommend teaching utilitarian ethics to environmental science graduates?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It recommends teaching both strengths and weaknesses of utilitarian ethics in a non-pejorative way and helping students understand competing theories so they can engage effectively in policy 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Compatibility in word processing software resulted in a nonsensical document that made its way into our journal. The editor would like like to apologize to readers and to the author and the following reprint represents a complete version of the article.  \nEnvironmental Studies and Utilitarian Ethics  \nBrian G. Wolff  \nUniversity of Minnesota Conservation Biology Program  \n100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Circle  \nSt. Paul, MN 55108  \nAbstract: Environmental ethicists have focused much attention on the limits of utilitarianism and have generally defined “environmental ethics”in a manner that treats utilitarian environmental ethics as an oxymoron. This is unfortunate because utilitarian ethics can support strong environmental policies, and environmental ethicists have not yet produced a contemporary environmental ethic with such broad appeal. I believe educators should define environmental ethics more broadly and teach utilitarian ethics in a non-pejorative fashion so that graduates of environmental studies and policy programs understand the merits of utilitarian arguments and can comfortably participate in the policymaking arena, where utilitarian ethics continue to play a dominant role.  \nKeywords: Environmental Education, Environmental Studies, Environmental Ethics, Utilitarianism, Utilitarian Ethics  \nIntroduction  \nThe current generation of college students is expected to witness a dramatic decline in biodiversity, the continued depletion of marine fisheries, water shortages, extensive eutrophication of freshwater and marine ecosystems, a dramatic decline in tropical forest cover, and significant climatic warming (Jenkins 2003, Pauly et al. 2002, Jackson et al. 2001, Tilman et al. 2001, Adedire 2002, Karl & Trenberth 2003) . The ethical implications of these anthropogenic ecological changes are clearly evident and have generated a tremendous interest in environmental ethics-a subject that has justifiably entered the environmental biology classroom.  \nThe teaching of environmental ethics in environmental science courses has been heavily influenced by recent philosophical debates and many educators have followed environmental ethicists in rejecting the ethics of utilitarianism. Environmental science textbooks commonly exemplify this trend by associating utilitarianism with discredited “worldviews.”  \nDespite the deprecatory treatment by environmental ethicists, utilitarianism continues to be widely accepted by professionals in other fields and utilitarian ethics still dominate the public policy arena. The derisive treatment of utilitarian ethics in environmental science courses may, consequently, have unfortunate consequences. Many graduates of environmental science courses are likely to be called upon to implement and defend policies they are ill prepared to understand or fully accept without a basic appreciation for the merits of utilitarian ethics.  \nEnvironmental science graduates may also find themselves isolated from economists and other professionals if they fail to develop an appreciation for the limitations of competing theories and develop an antipathy for utilitarian ethics.  \nTo prepare graduates of environmental science courses for participation in the policy process, it is important that environmental biologists teach the strengths, as well as the weaknesses, of utilitarian ethics in a non-pejorative fashion, and the limitations, as well as the strengths, of competing theories.  \nIt must be appreciated that the training given most biologists seldom includes rigorous courses in philosophy. Consequently, environmental science instructors are likely to lack knowledge of, or an appreciation for, the relative merits of competing theories. I hope my treatment of this subject serves, in part, to address this issue by exposing biology instructors to several important philosophical debates, and by raising awareness of the unsettled nature of envir","cbCaioou7HtrkyHa","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaioou7HtrkyHa","pdf",267059,"English","# Introduction\n## The Changing Status of Utilitarianism in Environmental Ethics\n## Conclusion","[{\"question\":\"Why does the article claim that treating utilitarian environmental ethics as an oxymoron is unfortunate?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that utilitarian ethics can underpin strong environmental policies, even though many environmental ethicists define the field in ways that reject utilitarianism.\"},{\"question\":\"What environmental changes does the article describe as morally significant for students?\",\"answer\":\"It highlights projected declines in biodiversity, depletion of marine fisheries, water shortages, eutrophication, tropical forest loss, and climatic warming, emphasizing their ethical implications.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the article recommend teaching utilitarian ethics to environmental science graduates?\",\"answer\":\"It recommends teaching both strengths and weaknesses of utilitarian ethics in a non-pejorative way and helping students understand competing theories so they can engage effectively in policy processes.\"}]","Environmental Studies and Utilitarian Ethics | PDF",13]