Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to mobilize concepts and approaches to think about the relationships between the government of human societies and their environment. Drawing on a variety of disciplines, they will be able to grasp the fundamentally political nature of major ecological issues such as global warming, the erosion of biodiversity and increasing pollution.

This course emphasizes the diversity of points of view from which the ecological dimension of the organization of society can be analyzed. As part of this process, students will undertake a series of readings that will bring them face to face with this diversity.

Goals

The main objectives of the course are as follows:

- To provide an introduction to the links between the government of human societies and their environment.

- Provide keys to understanding how ecological issues are governed, for example, international Conference of the Parties, the Europen Green Deal, and national air-climate-energy plans.

- Explore the doctrines that can be mobilized to provide a political understanding of the present and future relationships between human societies and their environment (e.g.: green capitalism, degrowth, ecosocialist planning, etc.).

- Train students to read and critically discuss scientific texts and doctrines dealing with ecological governance. 

Content

The course is structured in three parts.

Part 1 examines the fundamentally political relationship between human societies and their environment. The many ways in which societies modify and alter their environment are addressed, with a particular focus on the industrial revolution and great acceleration. The notions of planetary limits and the Anthropocene are critically introduced.

Part 2 provides an overview of how environmental issues have been governed, mainly from the second half of the 20th century onwards. It covers the international, European and national levels.

Part 3 deals with contemporary doctrines that offer answers to the questions “How did we get here?” and “What should we do?”. These doctrines may vary from one academic year to the next (green capitalism, degrowth, ecosocialist planning, etc.). The course looks at their main proposals and the criticisms levelled at them.

 

Assessment method

First session :

In the first session, assessment is based on:

1. an oral exambased on the compulsory readings discussed during the course sessions - 65% of the final grade

2. active student participation in ex cathedra sessions (parts 1 and 2) and collective oral presentation of ecological doctrines (part 3) - 35% of final grade.

Second session:

Due to the continuous nature of the evaluation of active participation and oral presentations, it will not be possible for the student to repeat point 2 in the second session. The points awarded in the first session (35% of the final grade) will therefore be carried over to the second session. Students are invited to do the oral exam.

 

Language of instruction

Français