Lesson 4: THE HUMAN PERSON IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Look closely at the picture below.

Describe what you see. Would you like to visit this place? What will you do when you go to this place?

Describe what you see. Do you see yourself staying near this place? Do you imagine yourself doing the
same things you imagine doing in the first picture?
Have you ever wondered about the changes happening in our environment? What have you noticed about
the weather and your surroundings? Which of the following statements regarding its state are true for
you and your community?

 Its hotter now than it usually was during the summer months.
 Typhoons are stronger and there is more rain during the rainy season.
 We experience more flooding in our community.
 We evacuate our homes more frequently due to natural calamities.
 Our community is now dirtier and more disorderly compared to the past few years.

How does philosophy define the person’s relationship with the environment?

Environmental philosophy or environmental ethics is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with the
natural environment and humanity’s place int it.

It deals with issues concerning humanity’s role in the world, the interaction between nature and humans,
and human response to environmental challenges.

Environmental
Philosophy

nature human

 Philosophers believe that persons have a special relationship with nature because of their
rationality. They are not only part of nature, but they can also shape, transform, and cultivate it.
However, this also means that they are also capable of inflicting the most harm on it.

Discuss:

1. Look around your community and school. Can you see evidence of changes in the environment
caused by people? Describe these changes.
2. Can you see evidence of people adapting their activities to your school or local environment?
3. Which part of your community or school do you consider most orderly? Which part is most
disorderly?
4. How has pollution affected your health and well-being? How has it affected the well-being of your
family and community?
There are three major view regarding the relationship between humanity and the environment.:

1. Anthropocentrism
2. Biocentrism
3. Ecocentrism

Anthropocentrism considers humans the most significant species on the planet, and that nature provides
humankind with the means to survive and develop.

Look around and you can see evidence of human transforming the environment to suit their needs.

 Landscapes were reshaped to schools, building, and other structures.

 Farmers till vast tract of land to grow crops, loggers clear forests for lumber, and mining
companies dig up land and even level mountains to access minerals and metals.
Biocentrism believes that humans are not only significant species on the planet, but rather, all organisms
have inherent value and should be protected.

 This view drives the activities of human organizations that advocate the ethical treatment of
animals.
 Our government has passed laws that recognize the rights of animals to be treated kindly, such
as R.A. 8485 or “The Animal Welfare Act of 1998”

Ecocentrism emphasizes great value on ecosystems and biological communities.

 This view believes that humankind is part of a greater biological system or community and that
we have a significant role as stewards or guardians of nature.
 This view also promotes the idea that order and balance in nature brings about stability and
beauty.
 Biologists believe that all biological organisms living with each other and that each organism
occupies a significant role within an ecosystem.

Look at your classroom. Do you consider your classroom clean and orderly?

Will you be able to conduct activities if your classroom is messy and disorganized?

 Human activities have a significant impact on the environment. Current scientific evidence proves
that human activities over the centuries have resulted in great changes in climate patterns
throughout the world. Climate change and its related effects are among the most important
environmental issues we face today.
Environmental aesthetics is a philosophical view that believes maintaining order in the environment will
bring out the natural beauty of the surroundings and contribute to the well-being of the people and other
organisms living in it.

How can humanity address the damage inflected on the environment?

Environmentalism advocates to address the growing environmental problems.

Environmental ethics is a moral approach that analyzes the relationship between humans and the
environment and seeks to address environmental problems brought about by human activities.

The main ideas of environmental ethics are as follows:

1. All nonhuman elements of the world, including animals and natural resources, have intrinsic
value and should be preserved.
2. The reservation of the envrironment will benefit humans by providing for ht eneeds of present
and future generations.
3. Humankind has a responsibility to safeguard the planet as stewards of creation.

Environmental ethics has resulting in the development of varied views:

 Social ecology applies an ecological and ethical approach in analyzing society, and sees a
relationship between social problems and environmental problems. Society should therefore,
implement changes in order to addrss issues regarding the environment.
 Environmental justice refers to the fair distribution of environmental benefits, as well as the
burden of meeting environmental challenges.
 Environmental justice influenced the emergence of the concepts of climate ethics and climate
justice.
 Environmental aesthetics advocates emphasizes that knowledge about nature will not only
enable humans appreciate nature’s innate beauty but will also help them relate more effectively
with the environment.
THINK:

Analyze the following situations and determine which of them show the right or moral choice with regard
to the environment. Discuss your thoughts in class.

1. A mining corporation decided to save costs and did not construct an effective storing facility for
mining waste. The improperly stored waste leaked and polluted the nearby river, poisoned marine
life, and caused people in the nearby village to get sick.
2. A businessman bought a large piece of farmland and decided to convert it into a subdivision.
During construction, hundreds of trees sere uprooted and streams were covered in cement.
3. A local official led a campaign to set aside several hectares of forested land in their city as a
watershed area. This area was declared off-limits to loggers and miners.
4. An animal shelter partnered with the local government to conduct free vaccination drives for pets.
The shelter also coordinates with local police to address cases involving animal cruelty.

What can I do to uphold environmentalism and care for nature?

One of the major conceps that drive environmentalism is sustainability or sustainable development. This
concept focuses on reconciling human activities and economic development with the protection of the
environment.

 One of the major ideas of sustainability is that we must make wise decisions regarding the use of
natural resources to ensure that there is still enough left for future use.

Example:

According to a 2011 report by the World Food Programme, about one-third of the total food supply is
wasted throughout the world. In 2008, a study of the Philippine Rice Research Institute estimates that
every Filipino wastes aobut 3.2 kilograms of rice every year. That food could have fed other people but
sadly it often goes to waste.

 This fact highlights one important idea related to sustainability: that the misuse of resources often
means that other people do not get to benefit from it.
Look back at how you have been using other natural resources like water and electricity. Have you been
using them in a responsible and efficient manner? How can you improve the way you use resources to
make them more sustainable?

Sustainability relies on three important principles:

1. Environmental integrity
2. Economic efficiency
3. Equity

Environmental integrity refers to maintaining the state of environment.

Economic efficiency refers to the prudence in decision-making regarding the use of resources to ensure
that there is minimum to zero waste.

Equity demands that we use our natural resources in such a manner that these are conserved so that the
next generation will be able to use them

Prudence is the ability to regulate one’s actions and behavior.

Frugality is being thrifty with the use of one’s resources.

 As human persons, it is our responsibility to treat with respect not only our fellow humans, but
also everything in our world. Upholding environmentalism and sustainability will enable us to take
the first steps in addressing environmental issues and contribute to solving the greater
environmental challenge of climate change.

Activity:

Reflect on how you and your family use natural resources at home. Copy the table and fill it out with the
appropriate responses

Activities that show sustainable use of resources Activities that show misuse of resources
Project:

Make a personal commitment to sustainability and environmentalism. Create a poster showing the
actions that you can do to uphold environmentalism in your community. Use ¼ illustration/card board.
 CATEGORY 4 3
Used time well during each class
Use of Class Time period. Focused on getting the project
done. Never distracted others.
Graphics are all in focus and the
Graphics -Clarity content easily viewed and identified
from 6 ft. away.
Several of the graphics used on the
Graphics - poster reflect a exceptional degree of
Originality student creativity in their creation
and/or display.
All graphics are related to the topic
Graphics - and make it easier to understand. All
Relevance borrowed graphics have a source
citation.
All items of importance on the poster
Labels are clearly labeled with labels that can
be read from at least 3 ft. away.
The poster includes all required
Required Elements elements as well as additional
information.
Student can accurately answer all
questions related to facts in the poster
Knowledge Gained and processes used to create the
poster.
At least 7 accurate facts are displayed
Content - Accuracy on the poster.
The poster is exceptionally attractive
Attractiveness in terms of design, layout, and
neatness.
Title can be read from 6 ft. away and
Title is quite creative.
Capitalization and punctuation are
Mechanics correct throughout the poster.
Used time well during each class
period. Usually focused on
getting the project done and
never distracted others.
Most graphics are in focus and
the content easily viewed and
identified from 6 ft. away.
One or two of the graphics used
on the poster reflect student
creativity in their creation and/or
display.
All graphics are related to the
topic and most make it easier to
understand. All borrowed
graphics have a source citation.
Almost all items of importance on
the poster are clearly labeled with
labels that can be read from at
least 3 ft. away.
All required elements are
included on the poster.
Student can accurately answer
most questions related to facts in
the poster and processes used to
create the poster.
5-6 accurate facts are displayed
on the poster.
The poster is attractive in terms
of design, layout and neatness.
Title can be read from 6 ft. away
and describes content well.
There is 1 error in capitalization
or punctuation.
2 1
Used some of the time well
during each class period.
Did not use class time to focus
There was some focus on
getting the project done but
on the project OR often
distracted others.
occasionally distracted
others.
Most graphics are in focus
and the content is easily Many graphics are not clear or
viewed and identified from are too small.
4 ft. away.
The graphics are made by
the student, but are based No graphics made by the
on the designs or ideas of student are included.
others.
All graphics relate to the Graphics do not relate to the
topic. Most borrowed topic OR several borrowed
graphics have a source graphics do not have a source
citation. citation.
Several items of
importance on the poster Labels are too small to view OR
are clearly labeled with no important items were
labels that can be read labeled.
from at least 3 ft. away.
All but 1 of the required
Several required elements were
elements are included on
missing.
the poster.
Student can accurately
Student appears to have
answer about 75% of
insufficient knowledge about the
questions related to facts in
facts or processes used in the
the poster and processes
poster.
used to create the poster.
3-4 accurate facts are Less than 3 accurate facts are
displayed on the poster. displayed on the poster.
The poster is acceptably The poster is distractingly
attractive though it may be messy or very poorly designed.
a bit messy. It is not attractive.
Title can be read from 4 ft. The title is too small and/or
away and describes the does not describe the content of
content well. the poster well.
There are 2 errors in
There are more than 2 errors in
capitalization or
capitalization or punctuation.
punctuation.
 There are more than 2
There are no grammatical mistakes on There is 1 grammatical mistake There are 2 grammatical
Grammar the poster. on the poster. mistakes on the poster.
grammatical mistakes on the
poster.