Human Ecology

Code: PAO00043L

5 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/130 hours

Scientific Area: Environment and Ecology Sciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

Transdisciplinary reflection on the Man-Nature relationship on its multiple dimensions

Sustainable Development Goals

Erradicar a pobreza - Acabar com a pobreza em todas as suas formas, em todos os lugares

Erradicar a fome - Acabar com a fome, alcançar a segurança alimentar e melhoria da nutrição e promover a agricultura sustentável.

Saúde de qualidade - Assegurar uma vida saudável e promover o bem-estar para todos, em todas as idades.

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Cidades e comunidades sustentáveis - Tornar as cidades e os assentamentos humanos inclusivos, seguros, resilientes e sustentáveis.

Learning Goals

Transdisciplinary reflection on the Man-Nature relationship.

Valuing Nature: the idea of value and criteria for setting value to the natural elements (individuals, populations, communities, ecosystems, landcapes): tangible and intangible values, instrumental and non-instrumental, economic and non-economic values. Ecological services. The Ecological Economics. Environmental valuation methods.
Looking at and attitudes towards Nature - paradigms. Evolution of development paradigms in relation to the environment: unrestricted development, deep ecology, environmental protection, resources management, sustainable development
Arguments of Nature conservation. The experience of Nature in its multiple levels. The reappreciation of Nature and Arcadia revisited.
Ethics, environmental ethics, ethics of life, liberacionism, biocentrism, ecocentrism, specism. Aldo Leopold and the Land Ethic, Arne Naess and the Deep Ecology. Environmentalism and radicalism. Religion and environmental ethics: despotism and custodian. Ethics, relativisms, pragmatism.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and discussions on the program subjects including case studies.
Assessment includes student's participation in the debates, presentation and discussion of a short essay, written examination.