Homework on Card, Environmental Atrocities


All answers must be in your own words.

1. What makes something evil, according to Card? There are several conditions that need to be met for an act to be evil; state all of them. (2pts)

2. What make a harm intolerable, according to Card? Give your own examples of harms that would be intolerable, and harms that would not be intolerable, on Card's view. (2pts)

3. What is the point of the lobotomy example, and how is the relevant to the overall topic of Card's paper? (2pts)

4. Is Card convinced that ecosystems can be intolerably harmed? She seems convinced that one can do intolerable harm to some beings by harming ecosystems, but that's not the question. I'm asking about whether the harm to an ecosystem can itself be intolerable, rather than about whether harm to ecosystems can cause intolerable harm to other beings. If she thinks that ecosystems can be intolerable harmed, why does she believe this? If not, what is she uncertain about? (2pts)

5. In your opinion, can it be evil to harm plants or ecosystems, where the evil is not simply due to harms to animals or humans? Give a real world example that seems most like such an evil. Is it really such an evil? Why or why not? (2pt)

Extra credit:
a. Give an example (not discussed in class) of something either that we actually do as a society, or that individuals like you and your classmates actually do, that is morally wrong if animals have property rights.
b. What can a single individual like you or your classmates realistically and feasibly do to either avoid this wrongdoing, or to reduce the wrong that is done? (Saying "Get elected president and change the world" is not giving a realistic or feasible action)