Key research themes
1. How should environmental ethics expand moral considerability to future generations and non-human entities?
This theme investigates the philosophical foundations underpinning the scope of moral obligations beyond current human communities, emphasizing the inclusion of future generations, non-human animals, and broader ecological systems. It addresses conceptual questions about the extension of moral standing, the impersonal nature of ethics incorporating future quality of life, and the implications for sustainable social practices and stewardship. Exploring these issues is critical for developing normative frameworks adequate to the intergenerational and ecological challenges posed by environmental crises.
2. How do cultural, religious, and historical traditions inform and shape environmental ethical perspectives and practices?
This theme explores how diverse cultural narratives, religious doctrines, and historical philosophical developments contribute distinctively to environmental ethics. It investigates the ethical implications of stewardship concepts, ecological teachings embedded in religious traditions such as Judaism and Christianity, and how traditional narratives encode ecological wisdom. Understanding these cultural and historical foundations enriches contemporary environmental ethics by integrating pluralistic value systems and ethical practices rooted in community, spirituality, and moral obligations towards nature.
3. What ethical frameworks and socio-political approaches address environmental justice, intersectionality, and human-wildlife relations?
This theme examines the integration of social justice and environmental concerns, focusing on frameworks like ecofeminism, environmental justice, and relational approaches that critique dominance and oppression. It also explores ethical perspectives on human-wildlife interactions, emphasizing non-anthropocentric values and moral consideration for wildlife beyond utilitarian or conservationist perspectives. These approaches seek to address systemic inequities and moral obligations across gender, race, species, and ecological boundaries, highlighting the interconnectedness of social and ecological well-being.