- "Environmental ethics is an established field of practical philosophy... Ethics exerts influence on a large range of disciplines including environmental law, environmental sociology, ecotheology, ecological economics, ecology and environmental geography."
Compares and contrasts two different ethical perspectives: anthropocentrism, which places humans at the center of moral concern, and biocentrism, which argues that all living things have inherent value.
Environmental Ethics: The study of ethical relationships between human beings and the natural environment.
Anthropocentrism: A belief that sustains human interests as the most important in the world.
Biocentrism: The belief that all life forms are equally valuable and deserve equal moral consideration.
Human Exceptionalism: A perspective that views humans as distinct and superior to other animal species.
Ecocentrism: The belief that the environment and its ecosystems should be regarded as the center of concern in ethical decision-making.
Deep Ecology: An environmental ethics philosophy that encourages the awareness of the interconnectedness of all organisms in the natural world.
Sustainability: The capacity to continue indefinitely without undermining the natural systems that support us.
Animal Rights: A belief that maintains that animals have intrinsic value and deserve the same moral consideration as humans.
Environmental Justice: A social justice movement concerned with the equitable distribution of environmental hazards and benefits among different communities.
Ecological Footprint: A measure of human impact on the environment expressed as the amount of land and water needed to sustain our lifestyle.
Strong Anthropocentrism: This is the most extreme type of anthropocentrism. It asserts that human beings are the only beings that matter, and their interests are the only ones that should be considered. The environment and non-human animals are seen as resources for human use, without any intrinsic value of their own.
Weak Anthropocentrism: This type of anthropocentrism acknowledges the value of the environment and other non-human beings to a certain extent. However, human beings still remain the most important beings, and their interests take priority over those of the environment and non-human animals.
Biocentric Individualism: This type of environmental ethics focuses on the intrinsic value of individual beings. It asserts that every living being has an inherent value, regardless of its usefulness to humans. It also recognizes that individual beings have their own interests, which should be respected and protected.
Biocentric Holism: This type of environmental ethics sees the environment as a complex system, where every element is interdependent and interconnected. It asserts that the value of the environment lies in its capacity to support life as a whole, rather than in the value of its individual components.
Ecocentrism: This type of environmental ethics regards the environment itself as a living entity, with intrinsic value and rights. It asserts that the environment has its own interests and needs, which should be respected and protected. This perspective also recognizes that human beings are a part of the environment, and their interests are not more important than those of other beings.
Deep Ecology: This is a movement within environmental ethics that advocates for a significant shift in human consciousness, from an anthropocentric worldview to an ecocentric one. It asserts that human beings should recognize the interconnectedness and interdependence of all beings, and work towards a sustainable and harmonious coexistence with the environment.
Bioregionalism: This type of environmental ethics focuses on the distinctive ecological characteristics and boundaries of specific geographic areas. It asserts that human beings should learn to live in accordance with the natural systems and processes of their respective bioregions, rather than imposing their own standards and values on the environment.
Social Ecology: This type of environmental ethics asserts that environmental problems are fundamentally social problems, and calls for a radical reorganization of society in order to achieve an ecologically sustainable and just world. It recognizes that human beings are both a part of and responsible for the environment, and emphasizes the need for social and political action in addressing environmental issues.
- "The main competing paradigms are anthropocentrism, physiocentrism (called ecocentrism as well), and theocentrism."
- "These decisions raise numerous questions."
- "Should humans continue to clear cut forests for the sake of human consumption?"
- "Why should humans continue to propagate its species, and life itself?"
- "Should humans continue to make gasoline-powered vehicles?"
- "What environmental obligations do humans need to keep for future generations?"
- "Is it right for humans to knowingly cause the extinction of a species for the convenience of humanity?"
- "How should humans best use and conserve the space environment to secure and expand life?"
- "What role can Planetary Boundaries play in reshaping the human-earth relationship?"
- "The academic field of environmental ethics grew up in response to the works of Rachel Carson and Murray Bookchin and events such as the first Earth Day in 1970..."
- "Two papers published in Science had a crucial impact: Lynn White's 'The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis'... and Garrett Hardin's 'The Tragedy of the Commons'..."
- "An essay by Aldo Leopold in his A Sand County Almanac, called 'The Land Ethic,' in which Leopold explicitly claimed that the roots of the ecological crisis were philosophical."
- "The first international academic journals in this field emerged from North America in the late 1970s and early 1980s..."
- "The US-based journal Environmental Ethics in 1979..."
- "The Canadian-based journal The Trumpeter: Journal of Ecosophy in 1983."
- "The first British-based journal of this kind, Environmental Values, was launched in 1992."