Environmental Ethics And Chinese Thought

AY2014/2015 Semester 1

This class will first cover traditional theories and basic concepts in environmental ethics and then go on to consider how the recent discourse is broadened and deepened from the viewpoint of three representative Chinese intellectual tradition, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. It will go from generals to particulars by examining recent debates and theories such as Eco-feminism, Animal Right, Biodiversity, Daoist Causality, Inner-Transformation, Sustainability and our responsibility to the future. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own and to develop their own critical thinking in regard to the environment. This course will be conducted in Chinese.