THE HU M A N P E R S O N I N

THE ENV I R O N M E N T
“ HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED ABOUT THE
CHANGES HAPPENING IN OUR
ENVIRONMENT?
”
 WHY ARE THESE THINGS
HAPPENING TO OUR WORLD?
 HOW DOES PHILOSOPHY DEFINE
PERSON’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT?
 ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
•discipline in philosophy that studies the moral
relationship f human beings with the environment and
its non- human contents. environmental philosophers
tackle issues such as humanity’s role in the natural
world, the interaction between nature and human
activities, and humanity’s response to environmental
challenges.
 FOREST GAVE WAY TO FARMLANDS,
MOUNTAINS WERE MINED FOR MINERALS
AND METALS, AND RIVERS AND LAKES WERE
TRANSFORMED TO YIELD MORE RESOURCES
FOR MANKIND.
 THREE MAJOR VIEWS

ANTHROPOCEN BIOCENTRISM ECOCENTRISM

TRISM
ANTHROPOCENTRISM
FOCUSES ON THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE OF HUMANKIND IN THE
WORLD AND CONSIDERS NATURE AS THE MEANS BY WHICH
HUMANS ARE ABLE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AND SURVIVE. THIS
VIEW BELIEVES THAT HUMANS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT
SPECIES ON THE PLANET AND THEY ARE FREE TO TRANSFORM
NATURE AND USE ITS RESOURCES.
BIOCENTRISM
BELIEVES THAT HUMANS ARE NOT THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT
SPECIES ON THE PLANET, AND ALL ORGANISMS HAVE INHERENT
VALUE AND SHOULD BE PROTECTED. THIS VIEWS DRIVES THE
ACTIVITIES OF HUMANE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ADVOCATE THE
ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.
ECOCENTRISM
PLACES GREAT VALUE ON ECOSYSTEMS AND BIOLOGICAL
COMMUNITIES. THIS VIEW BELIEVES THAT HUMANKIND IS PART
OF A GREATER BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM OR COMMUNITY AND THAT
WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ROLE AS STEWARDS OR GUARDIANS
OF NATURE. THIS VIEW ALSO PROMOTES THE IDEA THAT ORDER
AND BALANCE IN NATURE BRINGS ABOUT STABILITY AND
BEAUTY.
ENVIRONMENTAL AESTHETICS

BELIEVES MAINTAINING ORDER IN THE ENVIRONMENT WILL

BRING OUT OF THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE SORROUNDINGS
AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELL – BEING OF THE PEOPLE AND
OTHER ORGANISMS LIVING IN IT.
HOW CAN HUMANITY ADDRESS THE
DAMAGE INFLECTED ON THE
ENVIRONMENT?
ENVIRONMENTALISM
•THIS PERSPECTIVE ADVOCATES TO ADDRESS THE
GROWING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.
PHILOSOPHY HAS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND ACTION.
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
•THIS IS MORAL APPROACH THAT ANALYSES THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT ALSO DISCUSSES ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS CAUSED
BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND SOCIAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT
THE ENVIRONMENT.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
•FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, AS WELL AS THE
BURDEN OF MEETING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. ADVOCATES OF
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EMPHASIZE EQUITY AND THE MEANINGFUL
INVOLVEMENT OF COMMUNITIES AND GOV’TS IN ADDRESSING
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, AND IN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES.
 WHAT CAN I DO TO UPHOLD
ENVIRONMENTALISM AND CARE FOR
NATURE?
SUSTAINABILITY OR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
•FOCUSES ON RECONCILING HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT WITH THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT. ONE
OF THE MAJOR IDEAS OF SUSTAINABILITY IS THAT WE MUST MAKE
WISE DECISIONS REGARDING THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO
ENSURE THAT THERE IS STILL ENOUGH LEFT FOR FUTURE USE
 3 IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF
SUSTAINABILITY

1.ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY
2.ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY
3.EQUITY
ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY

•MAINTAINING THE SATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS

MEANS THAT HUMAN ACTIVITIES SHOULD NOT
UNDULY DISRUPT THE ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMANS
COMMUNITIES LOCATED IN THE AREA.
ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY
•REFERS TO PRUDENCE IN DECISION – MAKING
REGARDING THE USE OF RESOURCES TO
ENSURE THAT THERE IS MINIMUM TO ZERO
WASTE
 PRUDENCE FRUGALITY

•ABILITY TO REGULATE •BEING THRIFTY WITH

ONE’S ACTIONS AND THE USE OF ONE’S
BEHAVIOR RESOURCES
EQUITY
•DEMANDS THAT WE USE OUR NATURAL
RESOURCES IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THESE
ARE CONSERVED SO THAT THE NEXT
GENERATION WILL BE ABLE TO USE THEM.