Away MAVE

The Distance Mode of MA in Values and the Environment at Lancaster University

412 Philosophy of Conservation in Practice

Aims and Objectives

By the end of the module, students should be able to demonstrate first-hand knowledge of the practices, policies and problems of particular conservation organisations (such as the Wildlife trusts, Scottish Natural Heritage, The National Trust, English Nature, Lake District National Park Authority) and sites (such as the Lake District National Park, New Lanark, Rum, Eigg/Knoydart). With reference to these organisations and sites, students should be able to offer critical, constructive responses to the following range of questions:

* what is conservation seeking to conserve, why and for whom?
* how are these aims justified and how valid are these justifications?
* what is the relationship between 'nature' conservation and the conservation of social and cultural heritage?
* to what extent should conservation policy be decided by experts and what sort of expertise is relevant?
* to what extent should public opinion play a role in formulating conservation policy, and what sorts of procedures are appropriate for consulting/eliciting public opinion?
* what is the appropriate role of science in deciding and justifying conservation aims and objectives?
* where do values and ethics arise in conservation, and how should these be understood and discussed?
* are (some) people in modern, Western cultures alienated from nature, and if so, how does this affect conservation practice and policy? Does "eco-psychology" have anything useful to offer to this debate?
* to what extent are philosophical skills useful in a critical examination of conservation ?
* are there any significant differences between environmental philosophy pursued indoors or outdoors?
* should conservation policy and practice be changed and , if so, in which directions?

In addition, students should be able to:

* offer robust philosophical analysis of key concepts such as biodiversity, ecological integrity, wilderness, wildness, nature, sustainability
* comment critically on the role of these concepts in conservation
* place conservation practice and policy in the context of wider environmental and political movements, issues and debates