Francis puts environment above short-term politics Sometime in April 1226, lying acutely ill in the grounds of St Clare’s San Damiano convent, St Francis of Assisi wrote the Cantico di fratre sole, the Canticle of Brother Sun. Nowadays we sing it as ‘All Creatures of Our God and King’. It is a cosmic hymn of praise to God in which the whole natural world joins. Francis’ biographer, Thomas of Celano, says that all God’s creatures ‘filled Francis with wondrous and unspeakable joy as he beheld the sun, or raised his eyes to the moon, or gazed on the stars, and the firmament...Even towards little worms he glowed with exceeding love... he used to pick them up...and put them in a safe place, that they might not be crushed.’ Conscious of his own approaching death, the saint sings: ‘Praise to thee, O Lord, for our sister mortal death, from whom no one may escape.’ Laudatio si gives no comfort to global warming deniers. Francis has little patience for technological solutions and ‘fixes’. Laudatio si needs a good editor. Comments Submitted comments
The religion of environmentalism As I have often noted, the most dynamic and influential religion of the past hundred years has not been Christianity, let alone Judaism, the two religions that created the Western world. Nor has it been Islam. It has been Leftism. Leftism has influenced the literary, academic, media and, therefore, the political elite far more than any other religion. For most of that time, various incarnations of Marxism have been the dominant expressions – and motivators – of Leftism: specifically, income redistribution, material equality and socialism. Nothing comes close to environmentalism in generating left-wing enthusiasm. This was most graphically displayed by the infamous Time magazine cover of April 21, 2008, that altered the most iconic photograph in American history – Joe Rosenthal’s picture of the Marines planting the flag on Iwo Jima. This is the antithesis of the Judeo-Christian view of the world that has dominated Western civilization for all of the West’s history. This is the trend.
Machine ethics: The robot’s dilemma Peter Adams The fully programmable Nao robot has been used to experiment with machine ethics. In his 1942 short story 'Runaround', science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov introduced the Three Laws of Robotics — engineering safeguards and built-in ethical principles that he would go on to use in dozens of stories and novels. They were: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2) A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; and 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws. Fittingly, 'Runaround' is set in 2015. Geoff Marsh speaks to Boer Deng about designing robots to handle moral dilemmas “We see more and more autonomous or automated systems in our daily life,” said panel participant Karl-Josef Kuhn, an engineer with Siemens in Munich, Germany. Learning machines Jiiji Press/AFP/Getty
4. Fundamental ethical codes (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism) – similarities and disparities « Between Religions and Ethics – A Common Ground Similarities Between Religious Rules and Ethical Rules by Popa Artur , XI E, National College Octav Onicescu Religion’s main purpose is promoting the spiritual conscience and as a main task the creation of a link between human and divine, trying to transmit and interpret ate God’s Thought and Will, indicating and individualizing the Universal Law. The concepts about truth and belief which religion and Church transmits, or better-said impose to a human being from birth, depends on the Age in witch he lives. If religion aspires to direct people towards ,, The right path’’, we should ask ourselves: Does ethics depend on religion, or vice versa? Ethics, by definition ( from the ancient Greek ,,ethos’’) represents a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice, etc. Between Religions and Ethics- Common Rules by Ovidiu Rosca At the very bottom of religious rules, lay the 10 commandments. Like this:
Top Ten Takeaways from 'Laudato Si'' | America Magazine Pope Francis’ revolutionary new encyclical calls for a “broad cultural revolution” to confront the environmental crisis. “Laudato Si” is also quite lengthy. Can it be summarized? In other words, what are the main messages, or “takeaways” of this encyclical? 1) The spiritual perspective is now part of the discussion on the environment. The greatest contribution of “Laudato Si” to the environmental dialogue is, to my mind, its systematic overview of the crisis from a religious point of view. 2) The poor are disproportionately affected by climate change. The disproportionate effect of environmental change on the poor and on the developing world is highlighted in almost every section of the encyclical. 3) Less is more. Pope Francis takes aim at what he calls the “technocratic” mindset, in which technology is seen as the “principal key” to human existence (No. 110). 4) Catholic social teaching now includes teaching on the environment. 6) Everything is connected—including the economy.
Gene politics The revelation in April that scientists had edited the genome of a human embryo — an inevitable development to anyone paying attention to biotechnological advances — has sparked the biggest bioethical debate of the year and one that will last for decades. The overwhelming consensus is that such embryos should not be brought to term in clinical settings — at least not for now. The debate over when, if ever, that should take place has played out in the scientific literature in duelling articles, arguments about the technology’s efficacy and calls for an Asilomar-like conference on bioethics. So it is little surprise that lawmakers are weighing in. The climate was more educational than controversial, with lawmakers asking the usual questions about the risks, benefits and ethics of engineering future generations of the human race. If the budget passes, this clause would be the first time that lawmakers have used the FDA to limit human embryo research.
All About Environmental Sociology Overview Environmental sociology is a subfield of the wider discipline in which researchers and theorists focus on the relationships between society and the environment. The subfield took shape following the environmental movement of the 1960s. Within this subfield sociologists might examine specific institutions and structures like law, politics, and economy, and their relationships to environmental conditions; and also on the relationship between group behavior and environmental conditions, like for example the environmental implications of waste disposal and recycling. Importantly, environmental sociologists also study how environmental conditions affect the everyday lives, economic livelihood, and public health of populations. Topic Areas Climate change is arguably the most important topic of research among environmental sociologists today. Central to the sociological approach to climate change is the study of the relationship between economy and environment. Additional Information
Faith-Based Activism on Climate Change | June 19, 2015 | Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly KIM LAWTON, correspondent: Deep in the bayous of south Louisiana, residents have little doubt about the impact of climate change. THERESA DARDAR: We live here, so we see it happening. We see the land sinking, sea level rise, we see it all. LAWTON: Theresa Dardar is part of a small Native American fishing community whose families have been here for generations. DARDAR: This used to be full of trees, and they used to have a lot of cattle here. LAWTON: Today, water has overtaken much of the marshland, and little can grow here. DARDAR: Ghost trees or skeletons. LAWTON: Most scientists who study this area say changes in climate fueled by growing amounts of carbon emissions have led to rising sea levels. REV. LAWTON: Kristina Peterson is a Presbyterian pastor, professor of environmental planning at the University of New Orleans, and coordinator of the interfaith Wetlands Theological Project. LAWTON: Many environmental activists are thrilled to have the support of this popular pope.
Environmental ethics - Wikipedia Part of environmental philosophy In environmental philosophy, environmental ethics is an established field of practical philosophy "which reconstructs the essential types of argumentation that can be made for protecting natural entities and the sustainable use of natural resources."[1] The main competing paradigms are anthropocentrism, physiocentrism (called ecocentrism as well), and theocentrism. There are many ethical decisions that human beings make with respect to the environment. Should humans continue to clear cut forests for the sake of human consumption? The academic field of environmental ethics grew up in response to the works of Rachel Carson and Murray Bookchin and events such as the first Earth Day in 1970, when environmentalists started urging philosophers to consider the philosophical aspects of environmental problems. Marshall's categories[edit] Libertarian extension[edit] Peter Singer's work can be categorized under Marshall's 'libertarian extension'. Deontology[edit]