Environmental Ethics and Planning Theory

Abstract

Environmental ethics addresses the basic questions of how we ought to use and manage the natural environment and the extent to which man must exercise certain moral and ethical constraints in his relations to the natural environment. More specifically, the subject of environmental ethics asks questions such as the following: Based upon what ethical criteria or principles should individuals and society make decisions about the use of the environment? What are acceptable levels of environmental risk or degradadation, and does society have an obligation to protect individuals from such risks? How should conflicts between social justice and environmental protection be resolved? Do we have moral obligations to non-human forms of life? Do we have environmental obligations to future generations? Do we have obligations to maintain the stability and integrity of natural systems? It is argued here that environmental ethics should be a legitimate and necessary component of planning theory. This article provides a cursory taxonomy of the primary substantive topics addressed by the literature, and the various perspective and theories presented within each.