- "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."
The philosophical study of ethical relationships between human beings and the environment.
Environmental Philosophy: The study of different approaches to environmental ethics, including ecocentrism, anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and deep ecology.
Global Environmental Issues: An exploration of the global issues that threaten the planet, such as climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, and the depletion of natural resources.
Environmental Justice: The investigation of social inequality in the distribution of environmental benefits and harms, such as exposure to pollution, access to clean water, and the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.
Environmental Law and Policies: The examination of legal frameworks and policies designed to regulate human activities that impact the environment, such as conservation laws, waste management rules, and renewable energy policies.
Environmental Economics: The study of the relationship between economic systems and the environment, including cost-benefit analysis, ecological economics, and sustainable development.
Ethics and Technology: The exploration of ethical issues arising from the development and use of new technologies, such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, and their potential impacts on the environment.
Environmental Science: The study of the scientific principles behind environmental issues, including ecology, environmental chemistry, climate science, and biodiversity conservation.
Environmental Anthropology: The examination of human-environment interactions and how cultural practices and beliefs shape environmental values and behaviors.
Environmental Education: The study of environmental education programs, curriculum design, and teaching strategies that enable people to make informed decisions and take responsible actions on environmental issues.
Environmental Communication: The exploration of how environmental issues are communicated to the public and how communication affects environmental attitudes and behaviors.
Environmental Ethics in Business: The examination of ethical issues in business practices and how corporate social responsibility impacts the environment.
Environmental Ethics in Religion: The study of the environmental ethics and practices of various religious traditions, and how religious beliefs shape environmental values and behaviors.
Environmental History: The exploration of the historical factors that have shaped our relationship with the environment, including the impact of colonialism, industrialization, and globalization.
Environmental Aesthetics: The study of the relationships between the environment and our aesthetic experiences, including natural beauty, art, and architecture.
Environmental Ethics and Animal Welfare: The exploration of ethical issues around the treatment of animals in human activities such as agriculture, hunting, and zoos.
Anthropocentrism: An exclusive focus on human interests and well-being above all other life forms and the environment. Anthropocentric ethics hold that humans are the only creatures with moral value, and the natural world is valuable only as it serves human needs.
Biocentrism: The recognition of moral value and rights to all living things, not just humans. Biocentrism emphasizes the intrinsic value of non-human beings and the interconnectedness of all living things.
Ecocentrism: The belief that the entire ecosystem or environment is the basic unit of moral consideration. Ecocentrism expands the circle of moral concern to include not only individual living beings but also communities of living things, entire ecosystems, and natural landscapes.
Deep Ecology: A philosophical movement that emphasizes the inherent value of nature and a spiritual and emotional connection to the natural world. Deep ecology holds that humans need to fundamentally change their relationship with the natural world to live sustainably.
Ecofeminism: A feminist philosophical perspective that links the oppression of women and the domination of nature, arguing that patriarchal attitudes toward both have led to the exploitation and degradation of both women and the environment.
Animal Rights Ethics: The belief that animals have inherent rights similar to humans and that humans have a moral duty to minimize the harm caused to them by human activities such as farming, experimentation, hunting, and raising for human consumption.
Environmental Justice: The recognition of the connection between environmental degradation and social injustice, calling for the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens among different social groups. Environmental justice seeks to ensure that marginalized communities, who are often disproportionately affected by environmental hazards, have an equal voice in environmental decisions.
Sustainable Development: The integration of environmental, economic, and social concerns to ensure that human needs are met in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable development aims to balance economic growth with environmental protection and social equity.
- "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."