There are many environmental problems today: pollution of land, sea and air; species loss; biodiversity loss as well as climate change. Philosophers have been considering these problems for many decades and environmental ethics is a growing discipline. But what is ethics? What is environmental ethics? What is nature and what are our duties towards the natural world? These are some of the questions we will be asking on this course as well as searching for a better understanding of ourselves and our situation today. Ethical theories will be applied to some major governmental policy decisions such as geoengineering and nuclear power. Are we on the right track for solving climate change or are there deeper concerns that we need to investigate? This is a foundational course for anyone concerned with environmental problems or wanting to pursue a career in environmental policy making.
Environmental Ethics: An Introduction
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Courses starts: 20 Jan 2026
Week 1: Ethics: what is the good life?
Week 2: Environmental problems and climate change: Why is environmental ethics important?
Week 3: Nature: what do we mean by 'nature'?
Week 4: Anthropocentrism: are only humans of moral concern?
Week 5: Non-anthropocentrism: are other beings of moral concern?
Week 6: Utilitarianism and the environment: what consequences?
Week 7: Rights-based ethics and the environment: what are our duties?
Week 8: Virtue ethics and the environment: What sort of people should we be?
Week 9: Agriculture and the land ethics: how should we relate to the land?
Week 10: Deeper values.
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Optional preparatory reading:
- Environmental ethics / Boylan, Michael ed
- Silent spring / Carson, Rachel
- Ethics: the fundamentals / Driver, Julia
- Late light: the secret wonders of a disappearing world / Malay, Michael
- Practical ethics / Singer, Peter
- The ethics of climate change: an introduction / Williston, Byron
Certification
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) Points
Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. Please follow this link for more information on Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) points
Digital Certificate of Completion
Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Please note students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £300.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Dr Helen Barnard
Helen Barnard has been teaching at the Department for Continuing Education for 15 years as well as a second level course in philosophy with the Open University. Her specialist interest is environmental ethics but also all other aspects of ethics and applied ethics.
Course aims
- To have a better understanding of environmental problems and our relation to the natural world.
- To learn about environmental problems including climate change.
- To understand the way in which nature and the things of nature can have value.
- To examine our behaviour and our impact on the natural world.
- To have knowledge of the different ethical approaches to environmental problems.
- To be able to offer arguments for the various different ethical approaches.
- To feel at ease in taking part in classroom discussions.
Teaching methods
The course will be taught each week in the form of a lecture followed by open discussion. Readings will be set for each week.
Learning outcomes
- To have knowledge of environmental problems and the various ethical approaches to the problem.
- To have knowledge as to how to present logical arguments in support of ethical positions.
- To be comfortable in open debates.
Assessment methods
The course will be assessed by one essay of 1500 words, with a formative assignment of 500 words, or two pieces of work of 750 words each.
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation will submit coursework.
Application
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education
Students who do not register for assessment and credit during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
Level and demands
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.