PHIL 2070 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Ecological Succession, Arthur Tansley, Biocoenosis
1 Feb 2017
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Ecosystems as super-organisms and the balance of the nature concept. Key ideas: interests as a morally significant property ecosystems as self-interested super-organisms. If selection favoured x, then x is morally good. Morality cannot be read off our evolutionary history, must be grounded somewhere else. More (cid:271)ad (cid:374)e(cid:449)s for the la(cid:374)d ethi(cid:272) ((cid:862)a(cid:374)(cid:455) se(cid:374)tie(cid:374)t (cid:271)ei(cid:374)g deser(cid:448)es so(cid:373)e sort of (cid:373)oral (cid:272)o(cid:374)sideratio(cid:374)(cid:863) Meaning, it would be morally wrong to treat it like any other non-sentient being. ) But what is good for sentient animals is often bad for the biotic community as a whole, and vice versa. Many environmentalists say: too bad for animal welfare! Ecoholism: (sentience means the capacity to suffer, experience pain and pleasure). Suppose that someone interfered with your purpose in life as a human being. I. e. prevent you from flourishing as a rational, social organism. Well, other non sentient organisms also have purposes, such as slime mold and ants.
