1. Worldviews can be narrow or broad
World views reflect a person’s or group’s beliefs about the meaning purpose operation and essence of the world.
Your view of the world shapes your ethical values
USA vs China

2. Ethics and Culture Shape Our Worldviews
Culture is the overall assemblage of knowledge beliefs and perceptions. Religion is one way that shapes our culture.

3. Two Contrasting Worldviews
1)Technological-scientific worldview
See nature as something to be manipulated
2) Natural worldviews
Emphasize connection between humans and nature

4. Environmental Ethics
“Expands a circle or moral concern beyond the human species to include at the very least other mammals; perhaps lower animals and plants; and finally entire ecosystems.”
Gudorf and Hutchison

5. Two main types of Environmental Ethics:
Individualistic
&
Holistic

6. Both holistic and individualistic environmental ethics address --
Whose interests count?
Whose interests must we consider?

7. The Evolution of Ethics: as time passed, people broadened the scope of their ethical consideration

8. Forefathers of Environmental Ethics in the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution inspired environmental philosophers. In England there was critic, poet and writer John Ruskin who spoke of the environment as a laboratory for the distillation of venomous smokes and smell,” The American Thoreau and Emerson – American transcendentalists who view nature as a direct manifestation of the divine, emphasizing the soul’s oneness with nature and God

9. Forefathers of Environmental Ethics
The industrial revolution inspired environmental philosophers. Prescribed to the preservation and conservation ethic. Anthropocentric, but focused on the preservation and conservation of beauty and natural resources. John Muir founded the Sierra Club, a leading environmental organization, and was instrumental in developing a national park system under Roosevelt. Gifford Pinchot founded the US Forest service, came with a plan use/ conservation plan for natural resources. These philosophers valued the natural world not directly for its own sake, but indirectly for the sake of humans who find it valuable for the benefits it brings to them

10. 20th Century Beginnings
Began on Earth Day, 1970

11. The 3 major perspectives fall into the categories as being either individualistic or holistic

12. 3 Environmental Ethical Perspectives
Anthropocentric
Biocentric
Ecocentric
a human centered view of our relationship with the environment; biocentrism considers the effects of an environmental decision on all living things, Ecocentrism concerns the benefits or damage to the integrity of entire ecological systems

13. Commonalties
All three value systems have are concerned with human stewardship of the natural world, however they differ sharply for whom they do it.

14. Ethical Perspectives: Definitions
Anthropocentrism – considers the effects of environmental actions on humans only
Biocentrism – considers the effects of environmental actions on all living things
Ecocentrism – considers the effects of environmental actions on all components of our environment, both living and nonliving

15. The Individualistic Approach: Anthropocentrism

16. Anthropocentrism
Emphasizes human domination over nature and views non-human environment as a bundle of natural resources to be managed and exploited for maximal human gain. The ecosystems have only instrumental value, not intrinsic worth. Implied or explicit in most Western religious traditions.
“Not designed to address issues that go beyond the narrow circle of human life.”
Gudorf and Hutchison

17. i.e.: Who has ‘standing’? Human Individuals?
Anthropocentrism: The environment is valuable to the extent is useful or necessary for human well being
Human centered – Altruistic or egoistic
Humans are the most important and dominant species on earth
We should manage earth for our own benefit
Other species’ values depends on their usefulness to us
Utilitarianism – Always act to bring about the greatest good for the greatest number of persons who are affected by the action
Deontology – only humans are capable of performing duties, and thus are the only organisms that have rights

18. Anthropocentrism Extended
All sentient organisms should be protected
Animals which have the ability to experience pleasure and pain

19. Who has standing? Sentient animals?
Sentient animals are those who can experience pleasure and/or pain
Jeremy Bentham: an early utilitarian theorist, provided a basis for extending moral standing beyond humans
Peter Singer's "Animal Liberation" theory provides a utilitarian argument pro-Animal Liberation

20. More Anthropogenic Beliefs
There is always more (the earth has unlimited resources)
All economic growth is good
The potential for economic growth is limitless

21. Can Anthropocentrism Preserve the Earth?
The natural world can be valued and preserved for the benefits it brings to people
Supposes that the earth has no “intrinsic” value

22. The Two Main Problems Resulting From an Anthropocentric Value System
Overpopulation
Preoccupation with possession, power and ambition

23. Why does the world feel that we need more children?
Cultural
Lack of education
Sense of power for men
Sense of security in old age

24. Why do we feel we need more stuff?
Status
Missing non-material goals and spiritual values in life
Disconnection of humans from the natural world
media manipulation
Generational differences

25. Holistic Approaches -- the basic idea:
The whole is greater (and more valuable) than the constitutive parts
Holistic ethics involves a basic underlying concept of the unity and integral wholeness of all people and of all nature that is identified and pursued by finding unity and wholeness within the self

26. 2 Holistic Ethical Approaches
1) Biocentrism
life-centered ethics
Extended to telos – every organism has a purposeful directed life
Described by Aristotle
Telos – purpose, end, goal

27. Biocentrism 1. Humans are members of the Earth’s community
2. All species are integral elements in a system of interdependence
3. All organisms are centers of life, each pursuing its own good
4. Humans are not inherently superior to other living things

28. Biocentrism - key problem
Still pre-ecological
not really focused on ecosystems, but on individual life forms.

29. 2 Holistic Ethical Approaches
2)Ecocentrism
Ecosystem-centered ethics
Aldo Leopold’s watershed Land Ethic, "All ethics rest upon a single premise: that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts.”
A land use decision: “a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”
Father of modern environmental ethics

30. Father of Ecocentrism
Aldo Leopold ( ) came to see that healthy ecological systems depend on the protection of all their interacting parts
In The Land Ethic, he stressed that humans should view themselves and the land as members of the same community

31. Leopold’s ecosystem-centered ethics
Leopold spoke of the land as an organism, as alive.
"the complexity of the land organism" is the outstanding 20th century discovery."
The Land Ethic: "changes the role of Homo Sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the [land-] community as such."

32. Ecocentrism
Expansion of biocentrism by including abiotic components of the environment. It cares less about individual life forms but emphasizes interaction between them and fosters a system approach

33. 2 Radical Approaches 1) Deep Ecology
extends ecocentrism to egalitarianism among all species
May describe humans as the pathogens or plagues of the earth
Does not embrace human stewardship
Moral members of all members of the community are the same

34. 2 Radical Approaches 2) Ecofeminism
“patriarchy” (male dominance in society) is the primary form of social as well as environmental oppression
Assaults on
“mother nature” will continue in a society of male dominion
Photo source: The earth is life-giving or female in nature, and gives life to all other living things

35. Deep Ecology Ecocentrism extended
All life systems are sacred and valuable -- apart from their usefulness to human beings
All life evolved in the same way and thus, all are kin, with kinship obligations
All species should be allowed to flourish and fulfill their evolutionary destinies
All living things have equal value and we are truly inseparable from our environment

36. Religion and Anthropocentrism
Genesis (1:28): God commands humans to "fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing...”
After the great flood God says to Noah: the animals will dread and fear you, and I will give you dominion over "everything that creeps on the ground, and over all the fish of the sea.“
Traditional evangelical vs. current evangelical trends concerning interpretation of scriptures

37. Religion and Ecocentrism
“in wisdom you made them all the earth is full of your creatures.

38. “We are on Body in Christ” 1Corinthians 12:12-13, 27

39. Examples of Ethical Environmental Issues
Should we allow scientific research to be performed on animals?
Should we restore the ecosystems which were destroyed by hazardous wastes?
Should humans have more rights in this biosphere than other species?
Should we protect endangered species?
Should we restore the lands we destroyed?

40. Local: Disputes Over Building Coal-Fired Power Plants

41. How can these ethical philosophies be used to weigh the solutions to environmental issues?

42. Give These Considerations To Your Development in Environmental Ethics
Anthropocentrism (and reformist approaches) destroy nature
A transformation of consciousness is needed, replacing anthropocentrism with a broader sense of the self
identity should be grounded in nature
When we understand that we are part of nature, eco-defense, as self-defense, will follow

43. Please Reflect on these Questions
What role do humans play on Earth?
What obligation do we have to the human species? To other species? Are humans more important?
What obligation do we have to future generations?
How serious are the environmental problems we face?
Reflect on this statement: “With the recognition of value beyond human culture, our relations with nature become moral.”