Environmental ethics philosopher visits Richmond

J. Baird Callicott, philosopher and the first professor in the world to teach a course on environmental ethics, presented his book, “Thinking Like a Planet: The Land Ethic and the Earth Ethic,” while visiting University of Richmond.

Throughout the lecture, Callicott talked about the context of environmental ethics as a field of study, and argued that it “was a response to environmental concerns of oil spills, indiscriminate use of pesticides, etc.,” which were – and are – deteriorating earth.

“Respect the earth collectively, not only as a useful servant, but also as a living being,” Callicott said. “For the present and the immediate future, we need to consider issues of climate justice as a key part of global citizenship.”

Callicott said future generations would be more severely affected than the present, which was why issues of intergenerational justice needed to be considered.

Callicott said there were two things people needed to do to change the course of the planet. “People need to scale up the effective moral agent, and secondly, people need to vote for parties who will exercise policies that will be concerned about the Earth. We need collective action,” he said.

Mary Finley-Brook, a professor in the department of geography and the environment, said she “found the lecture very important for a campus audience because of the messages about collective action and being part of a global community.”

“I appreciate the bringing together this need for understanding intergenerational equity and climate justice,”  Finley-Brook said.

Callicott is known for his work as co-editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy, and “author or editor of a score of books and author of dozens of journal articles in environmental philosophy and ethics,” according to his website.

The Environmental Studies Program and the philosophy department organized the event Monday evening, which was open and free to all students, faculty and staff.

Contact reporter Marta Quero at marta.quero@richmond.edu