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Ecocentrism

April 26, 2024

Ecocentrism (/ˌɛkoʊˈsɛntrɪzəm/; from Greek: οἶκος oikos, 'house' and κέντρον kentron, 'center') is a term used by environmental philosophers and ecologists to denote a nature-centered, as opposed to human-centered (i.e., anthropocentric), system of values. The justification for ecocentrism usually consists in an ontological belief and subsequent ethical claim. The ontological belief denies that there are any existential divisions between human and non-human nature sufficient to claim that humans are either (a) the sole bearers of intrinsic value or (b) possess greater intrinsic value than non-human nature.[1] Thus the subsequent ethical claim is for an equality of intrinsic value across human and non-human nature, or biospherical egalitarianism.[2]

Origin of term edit

Main article: Aldo Leopold

The ecocentric ethic was conceived by Aldo Leopold[3] and recognizes that all species, including humans, are the product of a long evolutionary process and are inter-related in their life processes.[4] The writings of Aldo Leopold and his idea of the land ethic and good environmental management are a key element to this philosophy. Ecocentrism focuses on the biotic community as a whole and strives to maintain ecosystem composition and ecological processes.[5] The term also finds expression in the first principle of the deep ecology movement, as formulated by Arne Næss and George Sessions in 1984[6] which points out that anthropocentrism, which considers humans as the center of the universe and the pinnacle of all creation, is a difficult opponent for ecocentrism.[7]

Background edit

Main article: Environmentalism

Environmental thought and the various branches of the environmental movement are often classified into two intellectual camps: those that are considered anthropocentric, or "human-centred," in orientation and those considered biocentric, or "life-centred". This division has been described in other terminology as "shallow" ecology versus "deep" ecology and as "technocentrism" versus "ecocentrism". Ecocentrism[8] can be seen as one stream of thought within environmentalism, the political and ethical movement that seeks to protect and improve the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities by adopting environmentally benign forms of political, economic, and social organization and through a reassessment of humanity's relationship with nature. In various ways, environmentalism claims that non-human organisms and the natural environment as a whole deserve consideration when appraising the morality of political, economic, and social policies.[9]

Relationship to other similar philosophies edit

Anthropocentrism edit

Main article: Anthropocentrism

Ecocentrism is taken by its proponents to constitute a radical challenge to long-standing and deeply rooted anthropocentric attitudes in Western culture, science, and politics. Anthropocentrism is alleged to leave the case for the protection of non-human nature subject to the demands of human utility, and thus never more than contingent on the demands of human welfare. An ecocentric ethic, by contrast, is believed to be necessary in order to develop a non-contingent basis for protecting the natural world. Critics of ecocentrism have argued that it opens the doors to an anti-humanist morality that risks sacrificing human well-being for the sake of an ill-defined 'greater good'.[10] Deep ecologist Arne Naess has identified anthropocentrism as a root cause of the ecological crisis, human overpopulation, and the extinctions of many non-human species.[11] Lupinacci also points to anthropocentrism as a root cause of environmental degradation.[12] Others point to the gradual historical realization that humans are not the centre of all things, that "A few hundred years ago, with some reluctance, Western people admitted that the planets, Sun and stars did not circle around their abode. In short, our thoughts and concepts though irreducibly anthropomorphic need not be anthropocentric."[13]

Industrocentrism edit

It sees all things on earth as resources to be utilized by humans or to be commodified. This view is the opposite of anthropocentrism and ecocentrism.[14]

Technocentrism edit

Main article: Technocentrism

Ecocentrism is also contrasted with technocentrism (meaning values centred on technology) as two opposing perspectives on attitudes towards human technology and its ability to affect, control and even protect the environment. Ecocentrics, including "deep green" ecologists, see themselves as being subject to nature, rather than in control of it. They lack faith in modern technology and the bureaucracy attached to it. Ecocentrics will argue that the natural world should be respected for its processes and products, and that low impact technology and self-reliance is more desirable than technological control of nature.[15] Technocentrics,[16] including imperialists, have absolute faith in technology and industry and firmly believe that humans have control over nature. Although technocentrics may accept that environmental problems do exist, they do not see them as problems to be solved by a reduction in industry. Indeed, technocentrics see that the way forward for developed and developing countries and the solutions to our environmental problems today lie in scientific and technological advancement.[15]

Biocentrism edit

Main article: Biocentrism (ethics)

The distinction between biocentrism [17] and ecocentrism is ill-defined. Ecocentrism recognizes Earth's interactive living and non-living systems rather than just the Earth's organisms (biocentrism) as central in importance.[18] The term has been used by those advocating "left biocentrism", combining deep ecology with an "anti-industrial and anti-capitalist" position (David Orton et al.).

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Milstein, T. & Castro-Sotomayor, J. (2020). Routledge Handbook of Ecocultural Identity. London, UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351068840
  2. ^ Answers.com. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  3. ^ Leopold, A. 1949. A sand county almanac. New York: Oxford University Press.
  4. ^ Lindenmeyer, D. & Burgman, M. 2005. Practical conservation biology. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia. ISBN 0-643-09089-4
  5. ^ Booth, D.E. 1992. The economics and ethics of old growth forests. Environmental Ethics 14: 43-62.
  6. ^ Arne Næss|Naess, Arne & Sessions, George 1984. "A Deep Ecology Eight Point Platform" cited in Deep Ecology for the 21st Century, Readings on the Philosophy and Practice of the New Environmentalism, ed. George Sessions, Shambhala, Boston and London, 1995.
  7. ^ . AcaDemon. 2008. Archived from the original on May 18, 2008.
  8. ^ Smith, William (2019-01-02). "The role of environment clubs in promoting ecocentrism in secondary schools: student identity and relationship to the earth". The Journal of Environmental Education. 50 (1): 52–71. doi:10.1080/00958964.2018.1499603. ISSN 0095-8964. S2CID 149813545.
  9. ^ "environmentalism". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  10. ^ Ecocentrism at answers.com
  11. ^ Naess, Arne 1973. "The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement". Inquiry 16: 95-100
  12. ^ Lupinacci, John Joseph (2017-07-06). "Addressing 21st Century Challenges in Education: An Ecocritical Conceptual Framework toward an Ecotistical Leadership in Education". Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice. 2 (1). doi:10.5195/ie.2017.31. ISSN 2472-5889.
  13. ^ see Rowe
  14. ^ Shoreman-Ouimet, Eleanor; Kopnina, Helen (2016). Culture and Conservation: Beyond Anthropocentrism. Oxon: Routledge. pp. 8–9. ISBN 9781315858630.
  15. ^ a b "Earth, ecocentrism and Technocentrism".
  16. ^ "List of issues Theory Into Practice". www.tandfonline.com. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  17. ^ Frim, Landon (2017-09-02). "Humanism, Biocentrism, and the Problem of Justification". Ethics, Policy & Environment. 20 (3): 243–246. doi:10.1080/21550085.2017.1374008. ISSN 2155-0085. S2CID 171845388.
  18. ^ "Ecocentrism". The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com.. Retrieved 13 June 2009.

Further reading edit

  • Bosselmann, K. 1999. When Two Worlds Collide: Society and Ecology. ISBN 0-9597948-3-2
  • Eckersley, R. 1992. Environmentalism and Political Theory: Toward an Ecocentric Approach. State University of New York Press.
  • Hettinger, Ned and Throop, Bill 1999. Refocusing Ecocentrism: De-emphasizing Stability and Defending Wilderness. Environmental Ethics 21: 3-21.

External links edit

 
Look up ecocentrism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  • The Ecological Citizen
  • Ecospheric Ethics
  • Ecocentric Alliance

April 26, 2024
ecocentrism, from, greek, οἶκος, oikos, house, κέντρον, kentron, center, term, used, environmental, philosophers, ecologists, denote, nature, centered, opposed, human, centered, anthropocentric, system, values, justification, ecocentrism, usually, consists, on. Ecocentrism ˌ ɛ k oʊ ˈ s ɛ n t r ɪ z em from Greek oἶkos oikos house and kentron kentron center is a term used by environmental philosophers and ecologists to denote a nature centered as opposed to human centered i e anthropocentric system of values The justification for ecocentrism usually consists in an ontological belief and subsequent ethical claim The ontological belief denies that there are any existential divisions between human and non human nature sufficient to claim that humans are either a the sole bearers of intrinsic value or b possess greater intrinsic value than non human nature 1 Thus the subsequent ethical claim is for an equality of intrinsic value across human and non human nature or biospherical egalitarianism 2 Contents 1 Origin of term 2 Background 3 Relationship to other similar philosophies 3 1 Anthropocentrism 3 2 Industrocentrism 3 3 Technocentrism 3 4 Biocentrism 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksOrigin of term editMain article Aldo Leopold The ecocentric ethic was conceived by Aldo Leopold 3 and recognizes that all species including humans are the product of a long evolutionary process and are inter related in their life processes 4 The writings of Aldo Leopold and his idea of the land ethic and good environmental management are a key element to this philosophy Ecocentrism focuses on the biotic community as a whole and strives to maintain ecosystem composition and ecological processes 5 The term also finds expression in the first principle of the deep ecology movement as formulated by Arne Naess and George Sessions in 1984 6 which points out that anthropocentrism which considers humans as the center of the universe and the pinnacle of all creation is a difficult opponent for ecocentrism 7 Background editMain article Environmentalism Environmental thought and the various branches of the environmental movement are often classified into two intellectual camps those that are considered anthropocentric or human centred in orientation and those considered biocentric or life centred This division has been described in other terminology as shallow ecology versus deep ecology and as technocentrism versus ecocentrism Ecocentrism 8 can be seen as one stream of thought within environmentalism the political and ethical movement that seeks to protect and improve the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities by adopting environmentally benign forms of political economic and social organization and through a reassessment of humanity s relationship with nature In various ways environmentalism claims that non human organisms and the natural environment as a whole deserve consideration when appraising the morality of political economic and social policies 9 Relationship to other similar philosophies editAnthropocentrism edit Main article Anthropocentrism Ecocentrism is taken by its proponents to constitute a radical challenge to long standing and deeply rooted anthropocentric attitudes in Western culture science and politics Anthropocentrism is alleged to leave the case for the protection of non human nature subject to the demands of human utility and thus never more than contingent on the demands of human welfare An ecocentric ethic by contrast is believed to be necessary in order to develop a non contingent basis for protecting the natural world Critics of ecocentrism have argued that it opens the doors to an anti humanist morality that risks sacrificing human well being for the sake of an ill defined greater good 10 Deep ecologist Arne Naess has identified anthropocentrism as a root cause of the ecological crisis human overpopulation and the extinctions of many non human species 11 Lupinacci also points to anthropocentrism as a root cause of environmental degradation 12 Others point to the gradual historical realization that humans are not the centre of all things that A few hundred years ago with some reluctance Western people admitted that the planets Sun and stars did not circle around their abode In short our thoughts and concepts though irreducibly anthropomorphic need not be anthropocentric 13 Industrocentrism edit It sees all things on earth as resources to be utilized by humans or to be commodified This view is the opposite of anthropocentrism and ecocentrism 14 Technocentrism edit Main article Technocentrism Ecocentrism is also contrasted with technocentrism meaning values centred on technology as two opposing perspectives on attitudes towards human technology and its ability to affect control and even protect the environment Ecocentrics including deep green ecologists see themselves as being subject to nature rather than in control of it They lack faith in modern technology and the bureaucracy attached to it Ecocentrics will argue that the natural world should be respected for its processes and products and that low impact technology and self reliance is more desirable than technological control of nature 15 Technocentrics 16 including imperialists have absolute faith in technology and industry and firmly believe that humans have control over nature Although technocentrics may accept that environmental problems do exist they do not see them as problems to be solved by a reduction in industry Indeed technocentrics see that the way forward for developed and developing countries and the solutions to our environmental problems today lie in scientific and technological advancement 15 Biocentrism edit Main article Biocentrism ethics The distinction between biocentrism 17 and ecocentrism is ill defined Ecocentrism recognizes Earth s interactive living and non living systems rather than just the Earth s organisms biocentrism as central in importance 18 The term has been used by those advocating left biocentrism combining deep ecology with an anti industrial and anti capitalist position David Orton et al See also edit nbsp Environment portal Deep ecology Earth liberation Ecosophy Ecocentric embodied energy analysis Environmentalism Ecological humanities Radical environmentalism Ecofeminism Criticism Gaia hypothesis Holocentric Sentiocentrism Social ecology Bookchin TechnocentrismReferences edit Milstein T amp Castro Sotomayor J 2020 Routledge Handbook of Ecocultural Identity London UK Routledge https doi org 10 4324 9781351068840 Answers com Retrieved 13 June 2009 Leopold A 1949 A sand county almanac New York Oxford University Press Lindenmeyer D amp Burgman M 2005 Practical conservation biology CSIRO Publishing Collingwood Australia ISBN 0 643 09089 4 Booth D E 1992 The economics and ethics of old growth forests Environmental Ethics 14 43 62 Arne Naess Naess Arne amp Sessions George 1984 A Deep Ecology Eight Point Platform cited in Deep Ecology for the 21st Century Readings on the Philosophy and Practice of the New Environmentalism ed George Sessions Shambhala Boston and London 1995 Papers on Ecocentrism and the Deep Ecology Platform and similar term paper topics AcaDemon 2008 Archived from the original on May 18 2008 Smith William 2019 01 02 The role of environment clubs in promoting ecocentrism in secondary schools student identity and relationship to the earth The Journal of Environmental Education 50 1 52 71 doi 10 1080 00958964 2018 1499603 ISSN 0095 8964 S2CID 149813545 environmentalism Encyclopaedia Britannica 2009 Retrieved 13 June 2009 Ecocentrism at answers com Naess Arne 1973 The Shallow and the Deep Long Range Ecology Movement Inquiry 16 95 100 Lupinacci John Joseph 2017 07 06 Addressing 21st Century Challenges in Education An Ecocritical Conceptual Framework toward an Ecotistical Leadership in Education Impacting Education Journal on Transforming Professional Practice 2 1 doi 10 5195 ie 2017 31 ISSN 2472 5889 see Rowe Shoreman Ouimet Eleanor Kopnina Helen 2016 Culture and Conservation Beyond Anthropocentrism Oxon Routledge pp 8 9 ISBN 9781315858630 a b Earth ecocentrism and Technocentrism List of issues Theory Into Practice www tandfonline com Retrieved 2020 12 02 Frim Landon 2017 09 02 Humanism Biocentrism and the Problem of Justification Ethics Policy amp Environment 20 3 243 246 doi 10 1080 21550085 2017 1374008 ISSN 2155 0085 S2CID 171845388 Ecocentrism The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009 Encyclopedia com Retrieved 13 June 2009 Further reading editBosselmann K 1999 When Two Worlds Collide Society and Ecology ISBN 0 9597948 3 2 Eckersley R 1992 Environmentalism and Political Theory Toward an Ecocentric Approach State University of New York Press Hettinger Ned and Throop Bill 1999 Refocusing Ecocentrism De emphasizing Stability and Defending Wilderness Environmental Ethics 21 3 21 External links edit nbsp Look up ecocentrism in Wiktionary the free dictionary The Ecological Citizen Ecospheric Ethics Ecocentric Alliance Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ecocentrism amp oldid 1211690154, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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