EGMT 1540: Ancient Environmental Ethics

How should we treat the environment? How should we think about the environment? Do we owe anything to the world around us, and does it owe anything to us? To address these questions in our own lives, we will analyze how ancient Greek and Roman people struggled with the same questions thousands of years ago. The course is divided into three units, on animals, water, and earth. We will examine each unit as tamed, then untamed: pets vs. wild animals, beach vacations vs. shipwrecks, farming and gardening vs. earthquakes and volcanoes. We will reflect upon how Greek and Roman people’s daily interactions with their environment were shaped by their culture, and how we have changed since then. Ultimately, we will consider what it means to have a good relationship with our environment.