One of the major concerns of philosophers is the development of codes of practice and thou...

One of the major concerns of philosophers is the development of codes of practice and thought that define right and wrong, known as ethics. Ethics is about the good—those values and virtues we should encourage—and about the right—our moral duties as we face practical problems. Ethics, therefore, is a “normative” discipline—it tells us what we ought to do. Some things are right, and some things are wrong. How do we know what we ought to do? In other words, how does an ethic work? A fully developed ethic has four ingredients:

1. Cases. These refer to specific acts and ask whether a particular act is morally justified. The answer must be based on moral rules.

2. Moral rules. These are general guidelines that can be applied to various areas of concern, such as the rules that govern how we should treat endangered species.

3. Moral principles. Moral rules are based on more-general principles, which are the broadest ethical concepts. They are considered to be valid in all cases. An example is the principle of distributive justice, which states that all persons should be treated equitably.

4. Bases. Ethical principles are justified by reference to some philosophical or theological basis. This is the foundation for an ethical system.

A stewardship ethic is concerned with right and wrong as they apply to actions taken to care for the natural world and the people in it. Because a steward is someone who cares for the natural world on behalf of others, we might ask, “To whom is the steward responsible?” Many would answer, “The steward is responsible to present and future generations of people who depend on the natural world as their life-support system.” For people with religious convictions, stewardship stems from a belief that the world and everything in it belongs to a higher being; they may be stewards on behalf of a higher power. For others, stewardship becomes a matter of concern that stems from a deep understanding and love of the natural world and the necessary limitations on our use of that world.

Is there a well-established stewardship ethic? Insofar as human interests are concerned, ethical principles and rules are fairly well established, even if they are often violated by public and private acts. However, there is no firmly established ethic that deals with care for natural lands and creatures for their own sake. Most of our ethic concerning natural things really deals with how those things serve human purposes; that is, our current ethic is highly anthropocentric. For example, a basic ethical principle from the UN Declaration on Human Rights and the Environment is “All persons have the right to a secure, healthy, and ecologically sound environment.” Here, the point of the healthy environment is for humanity. There are several underlying reasons for a stewardship ethic, some stronger than others. Ethics for protection of other species will be covered later (Chapter 6).

Many organizations have developed stewardship principles for their own guidance, and these principles can sometimes serve as broader guidelines for society, although they usually address specific areas of concern and are often anthropocentric. One excellent group is the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (www.fseee.org), with a mission of protecting national forests and bringing reform to the U.S. Forest Service by advocating environmental ethics. The group is active in halting unauthorized logging and protecting Forest Service employees from unjust disciplinary actions, as well as lobbying in Congress to maintain stewardship of the National Forests.

Here are some of the issues that a stewardship ethic must grapple with in order to be truly helpful in accomplishing our stated goal of providing the “actions and programs that manage natural resources and human well-being for the common good”:

How to preserve species when doing so clearly means limiting some of the property rights commonly enjoyed by people and organizations.