ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

Environmental ethics can be defined as the philosophy that studies humans and their moral
relationship between abiotic and abiotic aspects of the environment. environmental ethics really
started to develop in the 1960s and 70s this was because of increasing awareness of industrial
growth, economic growth, and population growth and the effect it had on the environment.

- When environmental ethics emerged as a new philosophy it questioned the assumed moral
superiority of human beings to members of other species on earth
- it also investigated the possibility of assigning value to the natural environment and its
non-human components.

2 pressing global environmental problems: climate change and biodiversity loss

two factors that play into contrasting beliefs of environmental ethics are intrinsic value and
instrumental value.

Intrinsic value: is the value that an entity has in itself for what it is like friendship or love many
people value species and ecosystems intrinsically for their complexity diversity spiritual significance
wildness beauty or wondrousness. This is a kind of end goal which are accomplished through
instrumental values.

instrumental value: Instrumental values are not an end goal, but rather provide the means by
which an end goal is accomplished, and it is always conditional. a good example of something that
would have intrinsic value would be money physically is just a piece of paper but when you add
instrumental value to it becomes a major social and economic tool.

Three Main Types of Environmental Ethics:

Anthropocentrism: it is the belief that human beings are the central or most important entity in
the universe. The term can be used interchangeably with humanocentrism, and some refer to the
concept as human supremacy or human exceptionalism. It says that human life holds an intrinsic
value while other entities like animals, plants, mineral resources can be exploited to serve humans
as they only hold instrumental value which is to benefit humans. What would an anthropocentric
person do about climate change? They will take actions such as increasing taxes on fuel and petrol
and industries so that it doesn’t harm Humans in the future. (Human centred approach)

Biocentrism: it is an ethical belief that all livings things should have an equal right to live and hold
equal moral standing as humans. What would an anthropocentric person do about climate
change? They would suggest to not travel through vehicles that emit a lot of fuel since they are
causing climate change that is endangering the animals etc. (Living organisms centred)

Ecocentrism: it puts nature and ecology in the center of everything not because eco-system is
beneficial for humans but because of the intrinsic value of it. What would an ecocentric person do
about climate change? They would suggest closing down factories since they are effecting the
environment (rivers, climate, ecosystems, earth) as a whole. (Ecosystem centric).