Module PHL2055 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
PHL2055: Ecology, Environment and Conservation
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
You will learn about contemporary philosophical issues in ecological science, its relationship with conservation biology, and non-anthropocentric values. You will learn to think critically both about your engagement with the natural environment, and that of scientists and policy-makers, and express those conclusions with care precision. Reading and engaging with the philosophy of ecology, environment and conservation biology will develop your capacities for philosophical analysis and reasoning.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate an understanding of contemporary debates concerning ecology, conservation biology and environmental ethics. 2. critically engage with an ecological case study. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. analyse and critique arguments and positions. 4. synthesize theoretical and empirical information. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. critically integrate different disciplinary approaches. 6. demonstrate clear, concise writing and analysis. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics :
- What is the nature of ecology as a science? Questions include: are there laws in ecology? Are ecological theories falsifiable? How do ecological models work?
- What is the relationship between ecology and conservation? Questions include: do ecological communities exist? What is biodiversity? Can we prioritize conservation efforts?
- What is the nature of environmental value? Questions include: does economic value suffice for conservation? Is the value of nature anthropocentric or does nature have intrinsic value?
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 21.5 | 128.5 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures. Lectures cover more ground than is possible in tutorials, and are designed to establish a context in which to think about the themes and texts discussed in tutorials. |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 6 | 6 x 1 hour fortnightly tutorials. A specific reading is assigned, and you are provided with a list of questions to be discussed. |
| Guided Independent study | 45 | Preparation for lectures and tutorial participation including reading and planning. |
| Guided Independent study | 83.5 | Independent research for assignments. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Mark Colyvan, Stefan Linquist, William Grey, Paul E. Griffiths, Jay Odenbaugh, and Hugh P. Possingham (2009) A Field Guide to the Philosophy of Ecology
Marc Lange (2005) Ecological laws: what would they be and why would they matter? Oikos, 110(2), 394-403.
Weiner, Jacob (1995) On the practice of Ecology. Journal of Ecology, 83(1), 153-158.
Godfrey-Smith, Peter (2006) The Strategy of Model-Based Science. Biology and philosophy, 21(5), 725-740.
Jay Odenbaugh (2005) Idealized, inaccurate but successful: A pragmatic approach to evaluating models in theoretical ecology. Biology and Philosophy, 20(2-3), 231-255.
Mark Colyvan (2005) Probability and Ecological Complexity. Biology and Philosophy 20:869–879
Kim Sterelny (2006) Local Ecological Communities. Philosophy of Science, 73(2), 215-231.
Kirchner, James W (2002) The Gaia Hypothesis: Fact, Theory and Wishful thinking. Climatic Change, 52(4), 391-408.
Mark Sagoff Animal Liberation and Environmental Ethics: Bad Marriage and Quick Divorce. Osgoode Hall Law Journal 22 (1984): 297-307.
Sahorta Sarkar (2002) Defining “Diversity”; Assessing Diversity. The Monist, 85(1), 131-155.
Sober, Elliot (1986) Philosophical Problems for Environmentalism. IN: The preservation of the species, Norton (ed). Princeton University Press.
Mark Colyvan & Katie Steel (2011), Environmental Ethics and Decision Theory: Fellow Travellers or Bitter Enemies? Philosophy of Ecology, 11, 285.
