ENE452 Seminar: Sustainability and Ethical Challenges

• Topics

  This course is about ethical issues related to sustainability such as the three main ethical theories and the question about international and inter-generational allocation among other things.

  The following topics are relevant for discussion in lectures and student groups:

  • ethical perspectives of sustainability, or lack of sustainability.
  • ethics and the precautionary principle
  • research & science ethics
  • ethics of science-policy interactions
  • ethics and geoengineering
  • climate science and social values
  • various ethical cases/questions

• Learning outcome

  Upon successful completion the student

  Knowledge

  • knows the basic three ethical theories: Duty ethics, virtue ethics and consequentialism.
  • knows the basics of sustainability and related ethical challenges
  • is familiar with international aspects and possible conflicts between rich and poor countries related to sustainability and climate change
  • is familiar with intergenerational aspects and challenges of sustainability
  • is familiar with uncertainty and policy issues of global warming - knows geoengineering principles and related ethical issues
  • has fundamental knowledge about the principles for sustainability

  Skills

  • can discuss and reflect on ethical questions of sustainability
  • can apply basic ethical theories to sustainability challenges

  General competences

  • has practice preparing and discussing ethical problems in small and large groups
  • has in-depth insight into some of the ethical challenges of climate change and sustainability

• Teaching

  One week long intensive course with lectures and student group activities.

• Credit reduction due to overlap

  None.

• Compulsory Activity

  Physical attendance at lectures is mandatory.

• Assessment

  3 days individual home exam (publication day 1 at 09.00, submission day 3 by 14.00)

• Grading Scale

  Pass - Fail.

• Literature

  To be published in Leganto.