Over the last several decades, the term “Anthropocene” has inevitably found itself interwoven into discussions of sustainability, environmental justice, and climate change.
The term—which has become an environmental buzzword—refers to a geological epoch in which human behavior has significant and widespread impact on the Earth’s ecosystems and climate.
“If we are going to name this new era after us—which is somewhat hubristic in itself—then how are we going to conceive ourselves in that role?” said Associate Professor of Philosophy Marion Hourdequin.
In her recently published book, “Environmental Ethics: From Theory to Practice,” Hourdequin grapples with this very intersection: the ways in which we ought to live versus the practical realities at work in our lives/our world today.
“People are talking about entrance into this new epoch, and it entails new responsibilities,” said Hourdequin.
Many institutions and disciplines has taken a stab at environmental issues, from world governments to economists to human rights organizations to scientific research labs.
Philosophy and ethics, however, offer a unique lens into environmental conversation and debate.
“Environmental philosophers can challenge the standard assumptions held in Western philosophic tradition, like the assumption that only humans have value,” said Hourdequin.
Hourdequin has done much work in Asian philosophy and classical Chinese philosophy, both of which she has woven into her book to create an “unusual but distinctive flavor.” This engagement of other philosophic traditions is helpful when engaging critically with dominant Western ethical theories.
“The Western conception of the self is as autonomous and independent, whereas Confucianism and Daoism have a conception of the self that is more relational and perspective-based,” said Hourdequin. “To think of ourselves and our responsibilities differently is important in developing a robust environmental ethic.”
“Environmental Ethics”—her first single-authored book—developed during the fall of her sabbatical in 2012 and finished the following 2013-2014 academic year.
The book is a combination of original research and information and ideas gathered over a decade of teaching courses in environmental ethics at the college.
“I wanted to strike a balance between a synthesis of existing literature and giving my take on the field and what might constitute promising directions,” said Hourdequin. “I wanted the book to be ideally pleasant to read, but operate at a sophisticated level at the same time—I didn’t want to water down the discipline of environmental ethics.”
For several years, she has used draft chapters of the book in her environmental ethics classes, and the structure of the book drew on the experiences of teaching the class. Her students were very helpful during the fruition of the book, giving feedback on areas that needed expansion or clarification and even some line editing.
One of the examples Hourdequin gives is of her daughter’s elementary school, an institution at which all the food trays in the cafeteria are disposable.
This book shows that environmental ethics can serve to broaden and deepen conversations on hot button issues such as climate change.
It can also elucidate the relationship between our moral obligations and the practices of our daily lives.
“It’s a sort of hidden curriculum,” said Hourdequin. “The school isn’t explicitly teaching kids to throw out trash, but every day at lunch, a culture of disposability is promoted and certain values are implicitly conveyed.”
Hourdequin hopes one of the greatest contributions of her book will be its focus on practice and its emphasis on the relationship between values and institutions.
“Institutions embody and shape our values, and our values, in turn, shape institutions,” said Hourdequin. “It’s very much a cycle, and if we want to make any serious change, we will have to change the values of both.”
Environmental Ethics is available to the public and people in the field alike.