MATTHEW H. SLATER
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      • PHIL 311: Socializing Epistemology
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UNIV 200:
Climate Change

Scientific, Epistemological, and Ethical Issues
Spring 2015 Syllabus
This course examines scientific, ethical, and epistemological aspects of climate change as a human environmental problem. The Industrial Revolution set in motion rapid changes to the global climate system. It has become increasingly clear that average global temperatures will rise between 2–6°C over the next century. How do we know this and what does it mean? What are the roles of individual, state, and international actors in the climate change arena? What ethical responsibilities do we have towards people in other places or to future generations? How much emphasis should we place on mitigating climate change as opposed to attempting to adapt to it? How can we best approach such ethical issues given the political dissent surrounding climate change? How should we balance considerations of intrinsic versus instrumental (e.g., economic) value of the environment? As a team-taught Integrated Perspectives (IP) course — co-taught with Duane Griffin (Associate Professor of Geography) —  we will try to answer these questions from both scientific and philosophical perspectives through a combination of course discussion, lecture, small group projects, and other activities.
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  • Home
  • Teaching
    • Current and Future Courses >
      • PHIL 103: Logic
    • Previous Courses >
      • RESC 098: Revolutions in Scientific Understanding
      • PHIL 100: Philosophy in Film
      • PHIL 100: Belief & Reality
      • UNIV 200: Climate Change
      • PHIL 201: Symbolic Logic
      • PHIL 220: Philosophy of Science
      • PHIL 222: Analytic Philosophy
      • PHIL 224: Epistemology
      • PHIL 268: Science in the Public Eye
      • PHIL 272: Philosophy of Biology
      • PHIL 311: Socializing Epistemology
    • Student Resources >
      • Writing Resources
      • Presentation Advice
      • Recommendations
    • Calendar
  • Research
    • Books >
      • Are Species Real?
      • The Nature of Biological Kinds
    • Published & Forthcoming
    • Current Projects
    • The Production of Public Understanding of Science
  • Personal
  • Photography
  • Blog