Away MAVE

The Distance Mode of MA in Values and the Environment at Lancaster University

Assessment

NB These materials do not represent the current (05/06) version of this module, and are offered here as only as an additional resource for students of environmental ethics.

Essay writing

Writing essays gives you one way to demonstrate and express your understanding of the course material. It is an opportunity to develop critical skills in relation to what you read and hear, and it provides one forum, among others, to express your own ideas.
Assessment for this course is usually through a 5,000 word essay.

If you are returning to study after a long break or have a non-philosophy background you might like to take the option of writing 2 shorter essays; a first one of 1,500 and a second of 3,500 words so as to get useful feedback after the first one, in time for writing the second one. The weighting of these essays for assessment is 30/70.

If you would like feedback on an essay plan please send it to me in plenty of time for you to make use of the comments.

Please note there is a penalty of 5 marks for work that is seriously overlength (seriously overlength is defined as more than 10% longer than the maximum or guidline length).

Submission dates

For those doing a short and a long essay the 1,500 word essay is due on Monday 1st November 2004 3,500 and 5,000 word essays are due on Monday 10th January 05.

Essay titles for this module are:

1. Does Nature have intrinsic or merely extrinsic value?

2. Compare and contrast Singer and Regan on animal welfare; is either philosophically defensible?

3. 'An environmental ethic based around individuals cannot be thought of as 'environmental' at all'. Discuss.

4. What are the major difficulties confronting EITHER deep ecology OR ecofeminism? Can they be surmounted?

5. Does the concept of wilderness help or hamper environmental thinking?

If you would like to choose your own essay title please consult with me first.

Discussion

Discussion is an invaluable tool in philosophy - it enables collaborative learning, sharing different perspectives in relation to the course material and an opportunity to express your own critical views.
An essential dimension of discussion for distance learners is the web-based discussion-site. Home students are taking the course at the same time, and following the same course material, so we encourage all students to join in on the discussion. All students on this module, and any MAVE module, will have a user password for the MAVE web based discussion site. You can reach this site from the IEPPP home page or go to: http://ktru-main.lancs.ac.uk/PHLSPHY/MAVE1999.nsf.
In each unit, you will be asked to send a contribution to the discussion site. This is usually in response to one of the discussion questions or exercises. If you choose, your discussion-site contributions may count toward 30% of your assessment for this course.

Guidance and advice

Writing essays for MAVE courses can be a challenge for students new to philosophy. Because we welcome students to the programme from a range of disciplines, we understand that some of you will be developing your philosophical thinking and writing skills as you go along. a useful guide is available here.

For students who already have some philosophical background, you may feel more at ease. But please try to use examples and case studies in your essays, so as to aim for an understanding of how the study of philosophy has a bearing on actual cases of environmental practice and policy.