The course introduces students to the ideological causes of environmental destruction (despotism) and responses to them in the form of late twentieth century environmental philosophies such as Stewardship, Native Ecology, Animal Liberation, The Land Ethic, Deep Ecology, Ecofeminism, Social Ecology and the idea of an Australian environmental ethic. The examination of 'environmental' values and ethics is linked to a critical evaluation of contemporary social values and the idea of an ecologically sustainable society. The application of contemporary ethics to professional practice, experimentation and social action is critically considered.