Environmental Ethics Notes

Systematic account of the moral relations between human beings and their natural environment.

Anthropocentrism: Human-centered; non-human objects have worth only if they benefit humans.
- Human interests (Mike Martin):
- Economic: Resource management for survival and economy.
- Aesthetic: Enjoyment of natural beauty.
- Recreational: Activities in nature.
- Scientific: Study of natural environments.
Sentientism: Moral status attributed to sentient animals; centered on sentience, feeling pain and pleasure.
Speciesism: Humans are morally superior to other animals, is credited to Richard Ryder who coined the term in the early 1970s. Linear/Dualistic/Hierarchical
Reverence for life, a term popularized by Albert Schweitzer, is a concept emphasizing the inherent value and importance of all living beings, regardless of their species or nature. It's a fundamental ethical principle that calls for respecting, preserving, and promoting life, and avoiding actions that harm or destroy it.
Biocentrism: Life-centered view; all lives on Earth have intrinsic value and must be respected. Cyclical/Holistic/Interdependent/Interconnected
Ecocentrism: All living and abiotic factors in ecosystems have intrinsic value.
- Land Ethic: Preservation of the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community.
- "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.”