Environmental Ethics

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Published: Mar 25, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/ethiki.22671
Keywords:
Environmental Ethics; Anthropocentrism; Ecocentrism; Sustainability; Scientific Revolution; Ecology; Global Warming; Interdependence
Ayoub Abu-Dayyeh
Abstract

This article provides an overview of the historical development and fundamental concepts of environmental ethics. The author explores how the shift from ancient religious and philosophical views to the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions fostered an anthropocentric (human-centered) worldview that views nature primarily as a provider of goods and services. The paper contrasts this with ecocentrism—a life-centered morality that recognizes the complicated interdependence of all organisms. By examining the contributions of thinkers ranging from Descartes and Kant to Romantic figures like Rousseau and Thoreau, the author analyzes why traditional ethics failed to include the natural world. The study concludes by calling for a new ethical framework to address contemporary environmental crises, such as global warming and species extinction, emphasizing sustainability and our moral obligations to future generations.

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