We live in a world facing serious environmental crises. Many of our choices involve hard tradeoffs. These dilemmas are studied in environmental ethics, a well-defined interdisciplinary field typically centered in philosophy. UC San Diego is known for its work in the environmental sciences. Building on this institutional expertise, this minor will prepare any interested student to grapple with the ethical ramifications of a changing climate, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Environmental ethics is essential to work in sustainability, business, biology, conservation, public health, public policy, environmental engineering, computing, and much more. The National Registry of Environmental Professionals recently published a piece outlining the many ways in which environmental ethics is increasingly crucial to jobs. Environmental professionals often must balance difficult tradeoffs between economic and environmental goods. Recognizing different ethical claims and issues in distributional and procedural justice are important for any of these jobs. While it is clear that students pursuing careers in science research, conservation, and many areas of public health will confront numerous environmental ethical issues, environmental ethics is also crucial to many careers in business and industry as well.
Topics often covered in this field include: environmental justice, ethical issues in economic markets, obligations to future humans, future discounting, cost-benefit analysis and the precautionary principle, pollution and risk-imposition, animal welfare, climate justice and the polluter pays principle, the tragedy of the commons, and the nature and value of biodiversity.
The minor will require seven courses, (twenty-eight units): three courses from a Core category, two courses from an Ethics category, and two courses from a Science & Policy category. A maximum of two courses may be lower-division. All courses must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a C– or better.
Take Both:
Plus one of the following:
Select two courses from the following:
Select two courses from the following:
Enrollment in these courses is subject to the normal prerequisites and requirements in place in these departments. Students are encouraged to consult with affiliated faculty in philosophy for assistance selecting a coherent group of courses in this category. Students may petition for related courses to apply toward minor requirements.Refer to this page for policies pertaining to overlapping upper-division requirements between majors and minors.