An example of how the illegal destruction of protected woodland within Granny Kettle Wood is now being used as a case study within schools all over the world.
2.
An investigation into two moral
cases involving deforestation
Granny Kettle
Wood, Sunningdale, UK
Bosawas Biosphere
Reserve, Nicaragua.
3.
Granny Kettle Wood, in Sunningdale, comprises
more than 40 acres of woodland and is a wildlife
place, loved by the local community .
Illegal clear felling of one acre of protected woodland
took place in May 2012.
A petition is being conducted in order to ask the
authorities to prosecute this deforestation.
Disagreeing with each other, protectors and
destructors seem to apply different moral arguments
to justify their position.
GRANNY KETTLE
WOOD, THE
DEFORESTATION.
4.
‘’To what extent is it ethical and reasonable to exploit
the planet's protected forests and woods by
deforesting them for personal gain?’’
Before answering the question, it is important to
clarify the concept of ethical and reasonable.
KNOWLEDGE ISSUE
5.
Ethics is the moral principle governing or influencing
conduct. In TOK it is the branch of knowledge
concerned with moral principles.
Reasonable is the ability of the mind to
think, understand and judge logically, considering
what is right, practical, or possible.
ETHICAL & REASONABLE
6.
Ethical actions should be judged in an impartial way,
thinking objectively and without making exception
for particular cases.
Agreeing with Kant, the action questioned as a
knowledge issue is not ethical, because it is done
expecting something in return.
A preferential treatment is the main focus of the cause,
and this is completely against Kant’s philosophy.
KANT’S THEORY
7.
Kant’s approach on ethic by reason has some
limitations:
It creates a ‘’rule worship’’
It creates a conflict of duty
On the other hand
8.
Mill sustained that the only thing that is good in
itself is happiness.
His theory is simple and rational.
According to his theory, the deforestation is right if it
produces a pleasure for the person who does it.
MILL’S UTILITARIANISM
THEORY.
9.
It is not possible to measure pleasure.
Two different actions contrast themselves by
producing different kind of pleasures.
On the other hand
10.
Extending over 2,000,000 km², Bosawas Biosphere
Reserve protects the second-largest rainforest area in
the Western Hemisphere.
Woodcutters destroy thirty thousand acres of forest
per year.
ANOTHER REAL LIFE SITUATION
Woodcutters in Bosawas Biosphere Reserve
11.
This situation can de justified under the thought of Mill
The economic returns make woodcutters richer and
happier
Kant thought is against this situation
A preferential treatment is created
KANT & MILL
12.
KANT:
Deforestation is not ethical because it is done in order
to have a personal gain. Not reasonable
MILL:
Deforestation is ethical because it is done in order to
create happiness. Reasonable
ETHICAL & REASONABLE
(Bosawas Biosphere Reserve )
13.
Granny Kettle Wood
Personal happiness
Preferential treatment
Neither ethical nor reasonable according to Kant
Ethical and reasonable according to Mill
Bosawas Biosphere Reserve
Personal happiness
Preferential treatment
Neither ethical nor reasonable according to Kant
Ethical and reasonable according to Mill
GRANNY KETTLE WOOD &
BOSAWAS BIOSPHERE RESERVE
14.
The cases are closely related
The cases are both unethical and not reasonable
according to Kant
The cases are both ethical and reasonable according
to Mill
COMPARING THE CASES
AND CONCLUSION
15.
Both cases are not ethical.
When personal happiness is the first objective and
other impacts are not considered, the action cannot
be justifiable or reasonable
Personal interests are less important than the
general impacts
MY OPINION