Values, principles and behaviours (VPBs) underlie geoethics and geoscience. Can we understand or build geoethics or conduct geoscience without reference to these VPBs? How do VPBs influence our professional practice in geoethics and in the geosciences? How are geoethical values, geoethical principles, geoethical behaviours and geoscience related?
Those are some of the questions that we wish to raise in our short course. Values include honesty, compassion, quality, objectivity, truth, respect, justice, peace and beauty. Principles generally make values explicit and are often embodied in ‘dictates’, such as thou shalt not kill, treat all people fairly, be supportive towards others, be humble in success and steadfast in adversity, take responsibility, etc. Behaviour is driven by both values and principles; it is a pattern of action (climate as opposed to weather, if you will). Examples might include striving for quality, being harsh on subordinates, being economical with the truth, being sensitive to others, using logic.
Often an ethical dilemma stems from two or more underlying value conflicts, such as individual identity and social value. It is not easy to understand the dynamics of such relations. Values clarification exercises are often used to enable people together to work through complex issues in which differing, contradictory or hidden values may influence beliefs, principles and behaviours, including decisions. Such exercises allow us to become more aware of the ways in which values relate to our geoethical and geoscience activities.
This Short Course will be conducted in a workshop format:
a. starting with short overviews of geoethics and of clarification exercises;
b. followed by a hands-on, small-group session; and
c. ending with a debriefing session and a discussion.
Both experts and novices in geoethical VPBs are welcome in this Short Course; teachers, researchers and students will benefit. If you wish to do a little preparation before the course, these may be useful:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/SP508-2020-191, or
https://presentations.copernicus.org/EGU21/EGU21-604_presentation.pdf
Please bring some blank paper and a pen. Also, bring your critical thinking skills and your powers of logic.