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Ecology and Environmental Ethics – Problems and Perspectives

By Dr. M. Ramakrishnan   |   Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetham
Learners enrolled: 1105
In the present-day world, people in all walks of life together with the rulers and policymakers share the mounting concern for the gravity of the environmental crises all over the world. In this background, this course is designed with the intention to create environmental awareness among UG level students who represent a cross-section of our young generation. The main themes in the thirty six modules are the basics of scientific ecology, the ethical aspects of human interaction with nature, environmental summits and legislations, significant environmental perspectives from the East and West, various ecological disasters, major environmental resistance movements in India etc. The indigenous ecocentric traditions and ancient Indian systems of philosophy are introduced in this course with a view to demonstrate their eco-philosophical potentials. To put it briefly, this is a course designed for an integrated study of the scientific and philosophical as also the traditional and contemporary aspects of environmental studies for rethinking and rectifying the lapses in our relationship with nature.
Summary
Course Status : Completed
Course Type : Elective
Duration : 12 weeks
Category :
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit Points : 4
Level : Undergraduate
Start Date : 10 Jan 2022
End Date : 07 Apr 2022
Enrollment Ends : 28 Feb 2022
Exam Date :

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Course layout

First Week
Day 1 Video lecture
Ecology and Environment: Scientific and Philosophical Perspectives
Day 2 Video lecture Ecology, Environment and Conservation- Part I
Day 3 Video lecture Ecology, Environment And Conservation – Part II
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Second Week
Day 1 Video lecture Ecology – Origin and Development
Day 2 Video lecture Basic Concepts of Ecology
Day 3 Video lecture Types of Ecology
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Third Week
Day 1 Video lecture Ecosystem – Types and Components
Day 2 Video lecture Biocentrism and Ecocentrism
Day 3 Video lecture Environmentalist Critique of Anthropocentrism
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Fourth Week
Day 1 Video lecture Ethics – Definition and Basic Concepts
Day 2 Video lecture Applied Ethics – Conventional and Current Approaches
Day 3 Video lecture Why Environmental Ethics?
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Fifth Week
Day 1 Video lecture Environmental Issues –. Pollution
Day 2 Video lecture Environmental Issues –. Global Warming
Day 3 Video lecture Environmental Issues – Biodiversity Depletion
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Sixth Week
Day 1 Video lecture Environmental Issues - Waste Management
Day 2 Video lecture Deep Ecology – I
Day 3 Video lecture Deep Ecology – II
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Seventh Week
Day 1 Video lecture Social Ecology
Day 2 Video lecture Ecosocialism
Day 3 Video lecture Ecofeminism
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Eighth Week
Day 1 Video lecture Dark Greens, Light Greens and Bright Greens
Day 2 Video lecture Bishnoi, Chipko and Appiko Movements
Day 3 Video lecture Save Narmada Movement
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Ninth Week
Day 1 Video lecture Environmental Summits and Charters
Day 2 Video lecture Environmental Legislations in India
Day 3 Video lecture Legal Mechanism For Environment Protection
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Tenth Week
Day 1 Video lecture Environmental education – the curricular and co-curricular components
Day 2 Video lecture Media and Environment
Day 3 Video lecture Vedanta Philosophy – An Ecological Interpretation
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Eleventh Week
Day 1 Video lecture Buddhism - An Ecological Interpretation - Part I
Day 2 Video lecture Buddhism - An Ecological Interpretation - Part II
Day 3 Video lecture The Gandhian Programme for Saving the Earth
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Twelfth Week
Day 1 Video lecture Sacred Groves
Day 2 Video lecture Community Conservation practices – Tribal and Ruraltraditions
Day 3 Video lecture Community Conservation practices - Documentary
Day 4 Discussion and interaction
Day 5 Assignments submission and Evaluation

Books and references

Books:
1.  A Dictionary of Ecology, 5th edition by Michael Allaby, Oxford 
2. J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman, ed. Encyclopedia of environmental ethics and philosophy. MI: Macmillan Reference, 2009.
3. Indigenous peoples and environmental issues : an encyclopedia Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press.
4. Arne Naess.Ecology, Community and Lifestyle: Outline of an Ecosophy.
5. Eugene Odum. Fundamentals of Ecology. Brooks Cole.
6. G. Tyler Miller. Essentials of Ecology. Brooks Cole.
7. William Lillie. An Introduction to Ethics. New Delhi: Allied publishers.
8. P.D. Sharma. Ecology and Environment. Rastogi Publications. 
9. John S MacKenzie. A Manual of Ethics. Gyan E-Books: Delhi.
10. S. Radhakrishnan. Indian Philosophy 2 Volumes. Oxford India. 
11. Chandradhar Sharma.  A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy.   
12. Joseph R. DesJardins. Environmental Ethics: An Introduction to Environmental Philosophy. Wadsworth Thomson.
13. Andrew Light, Ed. Environmental Ethics: An Anthology. Blackwell.
14. Mahesh Rangarajan. Environmental Issues in India.
15. Ramachandra Guha. Environmentalism: A Global History.  
16. Rachel Carson. Silent Spring. Mariner Books 
17. Al Gore. An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It. Rodale Books.
18. Williams, Monier. Indian Wisdom. Delhi: Indian Reprint Publishing Co., 1974.
19. Prime, Ranchor. Hinduism and Ecology: Seeds of Truth. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 996.
20. Kappen, Mercy, ed. Resistance and Hope: Stories and Documents of People’s Struggles. Bangalore: Visthar, 2000.
21.Gaard, Greta. Ecofeminism, Women, Animals, Nature. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1993.

Web links:
 http://www.biodiversitybc.org/assets/pressReleases/BBCPrinciplesWEB.pdf
’10   most powerful movements’ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/10+most+powerful+movements/1/22812.html
‘Environmental Movements in India’ http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/paragraphs/environmental-movements-in-india/32983
‘Chipko Movement’ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chipko-movement
‘Gandhian view on Environment’ http://www.gandhiashramsevagram.org/gandhi-articles/gandhian-environmentalism-an-unfinished-task.php

Instructor bio

Dr. M. Ramakrishnan

Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetham
Born in May 1957 in Kozhikode District, Kerala. Secured MA and PhD in Philosophy from the University of Calicut. Selected for the Postdoctoral Fellowship of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi in 2000 and   for the Associateship of Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla in 1992.  Completed a UGC Minor Project on ‘Computational Teaching of the Philosophy of Values’.
Authored a book Ecosophy – Vision Beyond Human Vainglory and published five research papers in various journals. Presented papers in more than twenty national and international seminars.
Twenty-five years of philosophy teaching experience in various government colleges in Kerala. 
Research guide in Philosophy in Kannur University. 
Presently Visiting Professor in International Center for Spiritual Studies, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kollam, Kerala.    



Course certificate

30% weightage internal assessment and 70% weightage main examination


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