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THE LIMITATIONS OF NORMATIVE ETHICS: ANTHROPOCENTRISM IN KIM STANLEY ROBINSON’S 2312
Corresponding Author(s) : Rajesh K
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews,
Vol. 7 No. 6 (2019): November
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The present study mainly argues the limitations of normative ethics and analyzes the anthropocentrism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2312 based on the actions or duties of the characters.
Methodology: The article used normative ethics as a methodology. Normative ethics is the study of ethical actions that has certain rules and regulations about how we ought to do and decide. So, this study has chosen a normative ethic that consists of three ethical theories Utilitarian approach, Kantian ethics and Virtue ethics to judge duties that are right and wrong.
Main Findings: As a result, normative ethics compact with a one-dimensional approach. All three ethics deal with its own specific code of ethics. Utilitarianism has focused on good outcomes. Kantian ethics has paid attention to good rules with duty. Virtue ethics focused on the good people but all three theories have a strong common objective of focusing on only human beings (sentient entities) and omit other entities (plants and animals). So all normative ethics have certain limitations and do their duties without thinking about consequences and situations. In conclusion, this code of normative ethics has provoked as anthropocentric. In addition that Swan’s actions and the rational behavior made her miserably failed in Mercury through the construction of the biome and creation of quantum computers. So this cause, in the end, the space people want to move from space to earth to rebuild the biome.
Applications of this study: The prudent study analyses the normative ethics in a detailed manner under the Utilitarian approach, Kantian ethics and Virtue ethics. These philosophical domains can be benefitted for researchers to practice and implement during the research process in Humanities and Social Sciences especially.
Novelty/Originality of this study: The study analyzed the anthropocentric attitude of the character Swan in 2312 based on her actions or duties through the code of normative ethics (Utilitarianism, Kantian ethics and Virtue ethics).
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- Amerigo, M., Aragonés, J. I., Frutos, B. D., Sevillano, V., & Cortés, B. (2007). Underlying Dimensions of Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Environmental Beliefs. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 10(1), 97–103. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600006351 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600006351
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- Bakari, M. (2017). Mapping the ‘Anthropocentric-Ecocentric’ Dualism in the History of American Presidency: The Good, the Bad, and the Ambivalent. Consilience, (17), 1-32. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/26188780
- Batoche, Kitchener, Ont (2000) An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/bentham/morals.pdf. Accessed 05 Sept 2019
- Belas, L. (2017). Kant’s ethics as practical philosophy: On philosophy of freedom. Ethics & Bioethics, 7(1-2), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.1515/ebce-2017-0007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ebce-2017-0007
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- Dobie, M. (1998). Romantic Psychology and Kantian Ethics in the Novels of Isabelle de Charrière. Eighteenth-Century Fiction, 10(3), 303–324. https://doi.org/10.1353/ecf.1998.0044 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/ecf.1998.0044
- Gray, J. M., & Tejay. G. (2014). Development of virtue ethics based security constructs for information systems trusted workers. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security (ICCWS-2014), West Lafayette, IN, USA, 256-264.
- Koehn, D. (2015). Aesthetic Dimensions of Virtue Ethics: Implications for Business Ethics. Handbook of Virtue Ethics in Business and Management, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6729-4_111-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6729-4_111-1
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- Kopnina, H., Washington, H., Taylor, B., & Piccolo, J. J. (2018). Anthropocentrism: More than Just a Misunderstood Problem. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 31(1), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-018-9711-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-018-9711-1
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- Mcbeath, G. B., & Webb, S. A. (1989). A Political Critique of Kantian Ethics in Social Work. British Journal of Social Work, 19(6), 491–506. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/19.6.491 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/19.6.491
- Morris, M. C., & Morris, J. Z. (2016). The importance of virtue ethics in the IRB. Research Ethics, 12(4), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747016116656023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1747016116656023
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- Postolea, S., & Caraman, L. (2017). Between Anthropocentrism and Anthropomorphism: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Animal Comparisons in Shakespeare’s Plays. Linguaculture, 2017(2), 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1515/lincu-2017-0022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/lincu-2017-0022
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- Rajesh, K., & Rajasekaran, V. (2019). Environmental Ethics: Anthropocentric Chauvinism as Seen in Western Ethical Theories. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering. 8 (6S4), 1385-89. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.F1280.0486S419 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.F1280.0486S419
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- Woodhall, A. C (2016). Addressing Anthropocentrism in Nonhuman Ethics: Evolution, Morality, and Nonhuman Moral Beings. University of Birmingham. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e76e/ec39 6542fd32699dffb5dcc80689e3e4ef42.pdf. Accessed 06 Sept 2019
References
Amerigo, M., Aragonés, J. I., Frutos, B. D., Sevillano, V., & Cortés, B. (2007). Underlying Dimensions of Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Environmental Beliefs. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 10(1), 97–103. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600006351 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600006351
Aoudjit, A. (2012). Teaching Moral Philosophy Using Novels: Issues and Strategies. Journal of Thought, 47(3), 49. https://doi.org/10.2307/jthought.47.3.49 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/jthought.47.3.49
Bakari, M. (2017). Mapping the ‘Anthropocentric-Ecocentric’ Dualism in the History of American Presidency: The Good, the Bad, and the Ambivalent. Consilience, (17), 1-32. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/26188780
Batoche, Kitchener, Ont (2000) An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/bentham/morals.pdf. Accessed 05 Sept 2019
Belas, L. (2017). Kant’s ethics as practical philosophy: On philosophy of freedom. Ethics & Bioethics, 7(1-2), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.1515/ebce-2017-0007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ebce-2017-0007
Bhuyan, Nisigandha. (2007). The Role of Character in Ethical Decision-Making. Journal of Value Inquiry. 41. 45-57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10790-007-9063-y. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10790-007-9063-y
Bostrom, N. (2008). Moralist, meet scientist. Nature, 453(7195), 593–594. https://doi.org/10.1038/453593a DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/453593a
Dobie, M. (1998). Romantic Psychology and Kantian Ethics in the Novels of Isabelle de Charrière. Eighteenth-Century Fiction, 10(3), 303–324. https://doi.org/10.1353/ecf.1998.0044 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/ecf.1998.0044
Gray, J. M., & Tejay. G. (2014). Development of virtue ethics based security constructs for information systems trusted workers. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security (ICCWS-2014), West Lafayette, IN, USA, 256-264.
Koehn, D. (2015). Aesthetic Dimensions of Virtue Ethics: Implications for Business Ethics. Handbook of Virtue Ethics in Business and Management, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6729-4_111-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6729-4_111-1
Kopnina, H. (2014). Animal Representation in the Dutch Media through Environmental Ethics. Environmental Processes, 1(3), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-014-0025-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-014-0025-7
Kopnina, H., Washington, H., Taylor, B., & Piccolo, J. J. (2018). Anthropocentrism: More than Just a Misunderstood Problem. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 31(1), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-018-9711-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-018-9711-1
Korsgaard, C. M. (2013). Kantian Ethics, Animals, and the Law. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 33(4), 629–648. https://doi.org/10.1093/ojls/gqt028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ojls/gqt028
Kuper, S. (2014). Thoreau, Leopold, & Carson: Challenging Capitalist Conceptions of the Natural Environment. Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development, 13(1), 267-284. Retrieved from https://consiliencejournal.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2016/09/393-1016-4-PB.pdf
Mcbeath, G. B., & Webb, S. A. (1989). A Political Critique of Kantian Ethics in Social Work. British Journal of Social Work, 19(6), 491–506. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/19.6.491 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/19.6.491
Morris, M. C., & Morris, J. Z. (2016). The importance of virtue ethics in the IRB. Research Ethics, 12(4), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747016116656023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1747016116656023
Orhan, Ö. (2015). Aristotle: Phusis, Praxis, and the Good. Engaging Nature, 45–64. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262028059.003.0003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262028059.003.0003
Postolea, S., & Caraman, L. (2017). Between Anthropocentrism and Anthropomorphism: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Animal Comparisons in Shakespeare’s Plays. Linguaculture, 2017(2), 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1515/lincu-2017-0022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/lincu-2017-0022
Rajesh, K., & Rajasekaran, V. (2017). Political Traditions and Power Structures in H.G. Wells’s: The Island of Dr. Moreau .Man in India, 97(2), 363-68.
Rajesh, K., & Rajasekaran, V. (2019). Environmental Ethics: Anthropocentric Chauvinism as Seen in Western Ethical Theories. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering. 8 (6S4), 1385-89. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.F1280.0486S419 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.F1280.0486S419
Robinson, K. S. (2013). 2312. New York, NY: Orbit/Hachette Book Group.
Robinson, R., & Shah, N. (2018). Business’ Environmental Obligations and Reasoned Public Discourse: A Kantian Foundation for Analysis. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3802-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3802-9
Rorty, A. (2011). Aristotle on the Virtues of Rhetoric. The Review of Metaphysics, 64(4), 715-733. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23055638. Accessed 06 Sept 2019
Sandel, M. J. (2015). Justice: whats the right thing to do? New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Svoboda, T. (2012). Duties Regarding Nature: A Kantian Approach to Environmental Ethics. Kant Yearbook, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/kantyb.2012.143 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/kantyb.2012.143
Teehan, J. (2003). Kantian Ethics: After Darwin. Zygon, 38(1), 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9744.00476 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9744.00476
White, M. D. (2009). Kantian Ethics and the Prisoners’ Dilemma. Eastern Economic Journal, 35(2), 137–143. https://doi.org/10.1057/eej.2008.20 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/eej.2008.20
Wood, A. W. (2011). Kantian ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Woodhall, A. C (2016). Addressing Anthropocentrism in Nonhuman Ethics: Evolution, Morality, and Nonhuman Moral Beings. University of Birmingham. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e76e/ec39 6542fd32699dffb5dcc80689e3e4ef42.pdf. Accessed 06 Sept 2019