Environmental Philosophy (INTD 425)

Writing

[discussion forums] [discussion forum topics] [short research essay] [academic dishonesty]

Discussion Forums [rubric]

Full credit in the course will require writing five posts and commenting on ten posts written by others (so, for each forum, you will write one post and comment on two posts by other students).

These forums will take place on Canvas (under the "Communications" tab: select "Discussions"), where you will find the topics and due dates (for the posts and comments); the latter are also listed on the reading and assignment Schedule. NB: You are encouraged to make these posts as early as you can. Feel free to comment on posts as soon as they are available.

Each post should be at least 500 words and is worth up to 6 points; the comments should be at least 100 words each, and each is worth up to 2 points (see the rubric).

A good post will show evidence of having worked through the relevant readings, perhaps also responding to class discussion, and is written free of grammatical errors and typos.

About the comments: [rubric]

(1) If a post already has two comments, then choose another post on which to comment.

(2) These comments should be more than simply praise or a note of agreement. You should interact with the claims made in the post, or with the argumentation: Do you agree or disagree, and why? Is the author overlooking something? You might offer further evidence for the author’s views, or else counter-evidence. Try to raise at least one useful question for furthering the discussion.

(3) Feel welcome to comment as often as you wish on the posts; for any given forum, I’ll grade your two most substantial comments (that appear to be 100 words or more), but shorter comments are also welcome, and can add immeasurably to the conversation.

Discussion Forum Topics [top]

Forum #1: “Getting to Know You.” [rubric]

This first forum is dedicated to getting to know each other. Please post a three paragraph essay about yourself:

(1) The name you prefer to be called, where you grew up, your academic and non-academic interests, why you are taking this class and what you hope to learn or accomplish in this course, and anything else that you think might be helpful or interesting for others to know.

(2) List what you take to be the three most serious environmental problems facing humans right now, and why you think they are so serious.

(3) Conclude your essay with the epitaph that you would like to have engraved on your tombstone (i.e., the words with which you would most like to be remembered — if you aren't planning on having a tombstone, imagine some memorial plaque).

As with all the discussion forums, everyone needs to make two comments (on the posts of others) as well. For the purposes of this forum, your comments should take the form of follow-up questions (for instance, what else you would like to know about the person). Original posters should feel free to respond to these questions, and so on, until we all get our proper fill of each other.

Before you write the post and comments, be sure to check out the grading rubric. [rubric] Your writing will be graded on how well it measures up to this.

Due dates

... for the original post: Tuesday, Jan 31 (midnight)

... for the two comments: Thursday, Feb 2 (midnight)

Forum #2: “When Neighbors Starve.” [rubric]

Do you have an obligation or duty to help others in need? Do they have a right against you, that you help them? Justify your position as carefully as you can.

Before you write the post and comments, be sure to read through the grading rubric. Your writing will be graded on how well it measures up to this. Similarly, be sure to write your post after you have read the relevant essays, and make use of them as appropriate.

Due dates

... for the original post: Thursday, Feb 16 (midnight)

... for the two comments: Tuesday, Feb 21 (midnight)

Forum #3: “Other Animals.” [rubric]

Are there any moral constraints in our dealings with other animals, or may we treat them in any way we wish? If there are constraints, what are they? Explain yourself, and justify your position as best you can.

Before you write the post and comments, be sure to read through the grading rubric. Your writing will be graded on how well it measures up to this. Among other things, your post should make use of appropriate class readings and discussions.

Due dates

... for the original post: Thursday, Mar 9 (midnight)

... for the two comments: Tuesday, Mar 14 (midnight)

Forum #4: “The Nature and Scope of Value.” [rubric]

This post involves two related questions. First, does something have value only if some human being values it? For instance, is a wilderness area valuable only if there are human beings who care about it (that is, who prefer a world with some wilderness area, over a world with none, or with fewer such areas)? Similarly: Do non-human animals have value only if some human thinks they do?

Second, locate yourself on the value-grid [pdf] dicussed in class (moral atomist/moral holist and anthropocentrist/biocentrist). Describe your position, and justify it as best you can.

Due dates

... for the original post: Tuesday, Apr 18 (midnight)

... for the two comments: Thursday, Apr 20 (midnight)

Forum #5: “Defending Nature.” [rubric]

If a stand of ancient redwoods is about to be cut down and turned into pulpwood, and there are no legal means available for protecting those trees, would it be morally permissible, for instance, to hammer long spikes in the trees so as to make them too dangerous to cut? (You would, of course, post signs around the grove of trees warning that they were all spiked.) What permissible actions are available to those who wish to protect the trees?

Due dates

... for the original post: Thursday, May 4 (midnight)

... for the two comments: Tuesday, May 9 (midnight)

Short Research Essay [rubric] [sample annotated bibliography entries]

You will need to write one five to six page essay (1500-1800 words; following the MLA format [What’s the MLA format?]), involving at least two drafts, an annotated bibliography (minimum: 8 sources, 4 non-internet), and a summary sheet. The annotated bibliography should be on the same document as the essay, but is not included in the word count. The summary sheet is on a separate sheet of paper.

In years past, students have chosen a consumer product — cell phones, tomatoes, bicycles, zippers, electricity, drinking water, bottled water, gold, Nike shoes, etc. — and studied the social and environmental impact of their production, use, and eventual disposal. Most recently, students chose some environmental problem and a current solution to that problem.

This year, I would like to combine these two approaches: Choose a single consumer product or practice that you believe is a better product or practice, environmentally and socially, than the available alternatives, and then research that product or practice as carefully as you can, to insure that it really is our best possible choice.

We are faced with many environmental problems, and many of these are a result of bad consumer choices or other harmful practices. There generally won't be one big solution that will fix all the problems, but instead a great many little solutions that, when combined, will carry us down the road quite a ways. Many paths lead to a better world, and I'd like us to explore paths that we are able to start walking down right away. As a college student, your level of consumption is (I hope) fairly modest; but with your knowledge you can influence others who consume more: friends and family, but more importantly business and institutions — Manchester University, local schools and churches — that consume much more. Should we be promoting the use of LED lights (for illumination)? Or solar panels (for electrical production)? Or bicycles (for local transportation) or electric cars (for local and long range transportation)? Should we use cloth napkins rather than disposable paper? Is it more environmentally-friendly for public restrooms to have paper towels, or heated hand dryers, or high-velocity dryers? Which are the best low-flow toilets? Paper or plastic or cloth bags when shopping?

You’ve all heard of recent innovations that might be worth adopting or promoting; choose one, and explore it in greater detail. The aim here is to become a better-informed consumer, to make sure there aren't any hidden costs to the product or practice being promoted (not merely financial costs, but especially environmental and social costs). We want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and to do that we need knowledge. That’s what this research project is all about. At the end of the semester we will share what we’ve learned with everyone else.

In choosing your topic, stay specific. For instance, it is not an especially helpful essay that argues we should use less water when taking showers — we already know that. What we need to know is which low-flow showerhead works best. In general, what is the cradle-to-grave story on these produces? Which is easiest/best/most efficient to produce, use, and recycle or otherwise dispose of properly?

There are a number of due dates (see below) for different aspects of this paper; these dates are listed on the Schedule, and are firm (assignments may be handed in late — better late than never — but the grade will be penalized). All assignments should be submitted on Canvas (the initial topic, the thesis paragraph, annotated bibliography entries, the first draft, the final draft, and summary sheet).

What do I mean by ‘non-internet’ sources? Good question! I think I will need to stop using that phrase before long, since everything of value will soon be available on the internet. For now, what I mean is this: Any information that can be found in print (books, scholarly journals, newspapers, and trade periodicals) count as "non-internet", even though your most likely access to them now will be the internet. Internet-only peer-reviewed journal articles also count as "non-internet" (they are essentially peer-reviewed journals which, for a number of reasons, mostly financial, are available only on the internet).

NB: When citing sources that have print counterparts (and you have access to them as a PDF file that reproduces the print version), then please cite them as though they were the print source itself; it is all the same to me whether you accessed the article by way of EBSCO or JSTOR or MUSE, etc.

Finally, the only "internet" sources that are at all legitimate for our purposes would be those websites that are professionally curated (typically with .org, .edu, or .gov suffixes). Some blogs will be useful, but not many. Wikipedia is often a wonderful starting place for research, but it is never the place to end your research.

DUE DATES

Tue, Feb 14: Topic selection: Nothing is set in stone at this point, but you need to be thinking actively about this project, so list one or two possible topics. If you have any sources in mind, list those as well. (Type this directly into the appropriate Canvas page; I will respond with feedback as soon as possible.)

Thu, Mar 2: Thesis paragraph and at least four sources: This paragraph should quickly introduce the reader to your topic and present your thesis. [what’s a thesis?] Below this paragraph, please list at least four sources, in MLA format. [What’s the MLA format?]

Thu, Mar 16: Annotated sources: Please upload into Canvas a bibliography of at least four sources, in MLA format, each followed by a brief annotation. Here is a sample annotated bibliography [see] as well as general guidelines.

Tue, Apr 25: First draft: Your "first draft" should be as finished as you can manage it: typed, proof-read, taken to the Writing Center for advice, and nearly perfect. I will then comment on this, after which you can re-submit the paper for a grade. The last week of the semester will be devoted to everyone presenting their research to the class.

Mon, May 8: Final draft and summary sheet: Both the final draft and the summary sheet should be uploaded into Canvas. You should also bring 10 copies of the summary sheet to class on the day when you give your presentation. This one-sheet summary sheet [rubric] is to accompany the oral presentation of your research at the end of the semester [rubric]. The sheet should include the basic facts and findings of what you researched and the most important items from your bibliography. You might want to review this sample summary sheet.

Academic Dishonesty [top]

[This text is copied from the university Catalog]

Membership in the Manchester University community requires a devotion to the highest principles of academic and personal integrity, a commitment to maintain honor, and a continuous regard for the rights of others. There can be no rights without individual responsibility.

Manchester University faculty are committed to teaching and learning as a career and a profession. Each instructor is presumed to develop and use methods and techniques which enhance learning and which best fit his or her personality and subject matter area. At the same time, the instructor is expected to abide by the general principles of responsible teaching which are commonly accepted by the academic profession. These principles suggest that faculty keep complete records of student performance and that they develop and apply express, uniform criteria for evaluating student performance.

Students are free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study. While they may reserve judgment about matters of opinion, they are responsible for learning the content of any course in which they are enrolled. At the same time, students are expected to abide by the general principles of academic honesty which are commonly accepted in educational settings.

When a student chooses not to follow the general principles of academic honesty, the following policies and procedures bear their sad fruit.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of information (either written or oral) as one’s own when some or all of the information was derived from some other source.

Specific types of plagiarism encountered in written and oral assignments include the following:

● Sources have been properly identified, but excerpts have been quoted without proper use of quotation marks; or the material has been slightly modified or rephrased rather than restated in the student’s own words.

● Key ideas or items of information derived from specific sources that present material that is not common knowledge have been presented without proper identification of the source or sources.

● Unidentified excerpts from other sources have been woven into the student’s own presentation.

● A paper or speech may be a mosaic of excerpts from several sources and presented as the student’s own.

● An entire paper or speech has been obtained from some other source and presented as the student’s own.

● Texts in another language are translated into English and presented as the student’s own.

Cheating

Cheating consists of any unpermitted use of notes, texts or other sources so as to give an unfair advantage to a student in completing a class assignment or an examination. Intentionally aiding another student engaged in academic dishonesty is also considered cheating.

Submission of the same work (essay, speech, art piece, etc.) to fulfill assignments in separate classes requires the permission of both faculty members (if both courses are being taken in the same semester), or the permission of the second faculty member (if they are taken during different semesters).

Penalties

• Unintentional Plagiarism. In cases of plagiarism in which no deception is intended (such as ignorance of proper citation of sources), the student should expect a reduction in the paper’s grade; in some cases, the student may be given an option to rewrite the paper. No disciplinary letter will be filed.

• Deliberate Plagiarism and Cheating. In cases of deliberate plagiarism, and in all cases of cheating and attempted cheating, the work assigned will be failed. At the instructor’s discretion, the student may also fail the course (regardless of the grade-weight of the work assigned).

In either a case of deliberate plagiarism or cheating, a disciplinary letter recording the deception will be sent to the student, with copies sent to the associate dean of academic resources and the student’s academic advisor. For more information, as well as for information regarding your rights of appeal, see the MU Source.

Manchester University // Registrar // Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies // Last updated: 30 Jan 2017