Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Professor Stephens
PHIL 4302
16 February 2018
Metaphysical and Ethical Reasoning Analysis: Al Gore and Aerial Wolf Hunting
can apply a three-step system. The first step involves tracing the ethical reasoning of the
stakeholder for the situation at hand. By evaluating the certain worldview through specific
principles, values, and rules we can determine actions and claims in particular contexts and
situations. The next step involves applying this form of reasoning to a specific case study. Doing
this allows us the ability to see how one particular outlook works in a real-life situation. Lastly,
the third step involves evaluating the ethical thinking to determine its practicality. It is also
important to compare this one way of thinking to other systems. This entire process allows an
example, we can both understand a person’s worldview, and how that worldview would play out
former Vice President Al Gore. In 1992 Jordan Fisher-Smith, a park ranger and writer,
interviewed Gore on his views on environmental problems and how he feels we should work to
solve them. Using the Metaphysical and Ethical Reasoning Analysis model, we can try to
understand Gore’s environmental ethics from the answers he gives during his interview. Starting
with Gore’s worldview, many of the answers that he gives demonstrate that Gore holds a
stewardship view. Gore states, “We Human beings belong here [on earth]...we have a special and
unique role in the web of life.”1 Contrasting to the view of many Deep Ecologists, Gore believe
that human beings deserve to live on planet earth should to be stewards of nature and have a
responsibility to protect it. Next we can assess Gore’s principles and values. Even though human
beings may serve as stewards of the earth, Gore does not believe that they are completely
separate from it. Instead he states, “...we are both apart of the web of life and separate from it.”2
Gore emphasizes that human beings have a distinctive and different role on Earth. Specifically,
Gore states that when human beings lack power, the environment suffers.3 In terms of different
rules, Gore wants humanity to work on healing its relationship to nature, using an ideal version
of democracy to spread environmental values, fix environmental damage, and use the already
existing religious ideologies to influence attitudes. These notions all can transform into different
policies. Gore specifically advocates for the US to take leading initiatives on fighting climate
change and environmental education. He sponsored the first congressional hearings on climate
change. As a U.S. citizen, person of political prominence, and being on earth, he is passionate
about issues regarding the well-being on the planet. Specifically issues of climate change and the
Another issue that that demonstrates the progression of ethical reasoning is the issue of
aerial wolf hunting in Alaska. One can analyze this issue from position of one of the
stakeholders: the wolf-hunters. Much of the problem with this issue lies with the legality of
permitting the hunting of wolves from airplanes for biological purposes, specifically to increase
the population of caribou and deer in the region.4 The wolf-hunters are in favor of legalizing the
1
Fisher-Smith, Jordan, and Al Gore. “Environmentalism of the Spirit: An Interview with Senator Al Gore.” Orion,
1992., 4.
2
Ibid.,4.
3
Ibid.,3.
4
defendersofwildlife. Truth About Aerial Hunting of Wolves in Alaska. YouTube, 19 Sept. 2007.
practice, without limitation. Their claim for its legality is the idea that it is a form of biological
control. These hunters generally agree, unless the wolves face extinction, that humanity should
manage the population of wolves, in order to maintain the population of other species for
hunting. The hunters are valuing the human-management of nature and prioritizing human
recreation at the expense of the animals. This reveals principles of human superiority over
animals. Since the hunters feel as if they should be free to kill the wolves at will, the hunters can
be classified as having a planetary management worldview. It is much easier to dissect why the
wolf-hunters advocate for the policy that they do, the legalization of aerial wolf-hunting, after we
Question: Is this system of ethical reasoning analysis the best way to handle all environmentally-
based decisions? Will every diagram be as cut and dry as these examples?
Works Cited
“Aerial Wolf Hunting Flies Again in Alaska.” Environmental News Network, 3 May 2000.
defendersofwildlife. Truth About Aerial Hunting of Wolves in Alaska. YouTube, 19 Sept. 2007.
Fisher-Smith, Jordan, and Al Gore. “Environmentalism of the Spirit: An Interview with Senator
Thomas, Pete. “Sarah Palin's Support for Aerial Wolf Killing May Have Merit.” Los Angeles