Environmental Ethics Essay, Research Paper
The anthropocentric approach is criticized for “limiting values to the human realm,” for being biased toward the nonhuman world, and for its failure “to provide a satisfactory basis for a moral philosophy of ecological obligation” because it is concerned with human self-interest (Lecture). These are the claims of supporters of the deep ecology perspective, who believe that intrinsic value should be extended to all of nature. In this essay, I argue that the claims of the deep ecology approach are wrong and I will put forth a defense for anthropocentrism.
Before anything else, I will give the definitions of intrinsic and instrumental values and nature. An intrinsic value is “the worth a thing has in an end of itself.” These values are good for their own sake. Examples of these values would be love and beauty. An instrumental value is the “worth a thing has an instrument to achieve a goal or end.” (Lecture) Money would be an example of an instrumental value. Having money will allow a person the achieve the goal of a life of leisure. Lastly, nature means everything in our environment the soil, the climate, and all living things.
Anthropocentrism maintains that only human beings have intrinsic value and that nonhuman animals and the rest of nature only have instrumental value (Lecture). On the other hand, deep ecology argues that we should see the whole ecosystem as having intrinsic value. However, this claim of deep ecology is groundless because there is no useful purpose in attributing intrinsic value to non sentient beings (Lecture). Furthermore, Aldo Leopold, a proponent of deep ecology, writes in his Land Ethic, ” . . . a land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it.” (Text, p. #478) In essence, he suggests that humans are equal to everything in nature.
However, we are not equal to everything in nature. I will support this statement with several reasons. First, human beings can be, and are, educated about nature (Text, p. #490). For example, we can predict the weather in order to know how we will be affected by it. In turn, nature does not understand us. Also, humans know how to use natural resources (Text, p. #490). An illustration of this is that we get paper and wood for construction purposes from trees. On the contrary, nature does not use us. An opposition to these two justifications would be that human education and knowledge does not necessarily mean that humans are above nature. I do not agree with this. It is common sense that education and knowledge are power. More power equals to higher status. Therefore, humans are above nature. Finally, humans are capable of moral responsibilities. What we do in life matters it determines our success or failure. For example, we have a moral responsibility not to pollute (Text, p. #476). Plants and nonhuman animals do not have such a moral duty. Because we have moral responsibilities, we are more valuable than anything else in nature.
It can be argued by the deep ecology view that such an outlook is speciesism and that it is wrong for human beings to dominate all of nature. What I have to say to this is that it is human nature, our way of life, to trample with nature. Just as Leopold stated, we are members of our land-community (Text, p. #478). It follows that human beings have lived and evolved with nature. Human life is natural life and our activities are as natural as anything else. A great deal of the diverse things that human beings do can be perfectly natural, even if it can be destructive or lead to some transformation of nature. Our cultivation of the land or damming of the rivers is as natural as bees making honey or as birds creating their nests.
In addition to that, we live in a world where the strong survive it is the “survival of the fittest.” Naturally, and like other animals, we utilize the environment to live. As anthropocentrism contends, our moral obligation to protect the environment is based on human interests (Lecture). We have to safeguard what we need in order to live well. The deep ecology perspective states that this moral obligation should not be based on factors having to do with human benefits (Lecture). What, then, should this moral obligation be based on? It is only practical that human obligations are based on human interests! Humans do not need to be obligated to things that do not concern them. Consequently, in spite of the criticism from deep ecology, the anthropocentric view is an acceptable and justified basis for providing a moral philosophy of ecological obligation.
Another claim of the deep ecology view, given by Aaron Naess, is that the self is all, reality is one, and if we damage the environment, we damage ourselves (Lecture). It is true that human beings have the ability, and can choose, to subvert nature. Still, it is only natural of us to do so. A great many people commute in cars and in other transportation vehicles that can cause air pollution. Plows are used to destroy the soil that is used to grow food for us. We add waste to the garbage dumps every day. This is where the anthropocentric argument of “optimal pollution” comes in.
Optimal pollution is “pollution whose harms are outweighed by various human interests, including economic and aesthetic ones.” (Text, p. # 477) Although humans may be hurting nature in such instances as mentioned above, the benefits outweigh the costs. Moreover, instead of just sitting by, we take measures to maintain the environment. For example, we recycle so that we can reuse certain things that have been produced with material coming from the environment. We also plant trees and ride bikes to help reduce air pollution. So, while the human way of living may be destructive to the environment, we still strive to make up for it.
I will conclude with stating that the rational thing for us to do is to make the best use of nature for our success in living our lives. And, the anthropocentric view, with its grounds in human self-interest, supports this better than the deep ecology view.
Другие работы по теме:
Environmental Economic Impact Of Pollution In Chesapeake
Bay Essay, Research Paper Environmental Economic Impact of Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary with six major tributaries, the James, the Potomac, the Susquehanna, the Patuxent, the York, and the Rappahannock Rivers, feeding into the bay from various locations in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia (Chemical Contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay – Workshop Discussion 1).
Ethics 3 Essay Research Paper EthicsThere are
Ethics 3 Essay, Research Paper Ethics There are many people in the world today that want their lives to end in a certain way. Some want to fulfill a dream or do something they weren t able to do before; yet there are some people who want to feel like they have done something for others which have helped another person in there live today.
Ethics In America Essay Research Paper New
Ethics In America Essay, Research Paper New York ?Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did for me.? Matthew 25:40 The poor, the sick, and the children. These are the three most vulnerable groups in our society and in upper Manhattan?s Washington Heights neighborhood there are plenty of them.
Medical Advancement Essay Research Paper
“This could be revolutionary in terms of environmental health,” Richard Jackson, director of the National Center for Environmental Health, told reporters. “For the first time, we’ve profiled what is in people.”
Environmental Archaeology Essay Research Paper IF
Environmental Archaeology Essay, Research Paper IF we want to know how humans functioned we must know what their world was like ? thus environmental reconstruction Geomorphical and biological processes occurring
Marketing Essay Research Paper FOREWORDThe first time
Marketing Essay, Research Paper FOREWORD The first time I visited an IKEA-store was in Elisabeth, New Yersey, The U.S. The year was 1995 and I still rember the joy and excitement when I entered the building. It was huge and it
Aristotle On Ethics Essay Research Paper 1
Aristotle On Ethics Essay, Research Paper 1) Explain fully Aristotle?s approach to Ethics. What is the goal of the ethical life? What type of soul is capable of realizing the good life? How do we
Environmental Scanning Essay Research Paper This paper
Environmental Scanning Essay, Research Paper This paper will discuss environmental scanning, marketing procedures, and describe how the environment affects marketing in relation to the automobile detailing business.
Ethics Essay Research Paper Ethics 1 are
Ethics Essay, Research Paper Ethics (1) are an individual?s personal beliefs about what constitutes right and wrong behavior. Important areas of ethical concern for managers are how the organization treats its employees, how the employees treat the organization, and how the organization and its employees treat other economic agents.
Spinoza
’s Ethics, Part I Proposition 33 Essay, Research Paper Baruch Spinoza believes the essence of God includes God’s existence and discusses the causality of God through his ontological work, Ethics. In Ethics, Spinoza is seeking a method of truth through the perfect being. The essence of what that perfect being expresses, using this method of truth, is God (i.e. the perfect being).
Societal Marketing Concept Essay Research Paper The
Societal Marketing Concept Essay, Research Paper The societal marketing concept holds that the organisation should concentrate on the needs and wants of their customers, and then deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors, in a way that maintains or improves the consumer’s and the society’s well-being.
Environmental Apocalypse Essay Research Paper Environmental Apocalypse
Environmental Apocalypse Essay, Research Paper Environmental Apocalypse The environment is in a terrible condition and although an environmental apocalypse is not imminent we are definitely headed down that road. Some of the reasons for our Earth s trouble are overpopulation, consumerism, and overconsumption.
Ethics In Research Essay Research Paper The
Ethics In Research Essay, Research Paper The study of psychology often requires the use of experimental methods to gather important information for the betterment of the human race. Experiments often involve the use of humans and animals. What can be done to a human or animal in the name of science and research is a question of ethics.
Ethics Or Moral Philosophy Essay Research Paper
The field of ethics, also called moral philosophy, involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. Philosophers today usually divide ethical theories into three general subject areas: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Metaethics investigates where our ethical principles come from, and what they mean.
Epa Essay Research Paper Environmental Protection AgencyDuring
Epa Essay, Research Paper Environmental Protection Agency During the 1970?s Richard Nixon took office. His administration had many goals for the future. During these years people were ready to change the way our society was going by helping the environment. Before it could get any worse the government decided to form an environmental protection agency after chemical pesticides were used.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Essay Research Paper Ch 1
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Essay, Research Paper Ch. 1 introduction: sustainability, stewardship, sound science A. The global environmental picture – population growth, degradation of soils, global atmospheric changes, loss of biodiversity
Ethics Of Cloning Essay Research Paper Steve
Ethics Of Cloning Essay, Research Paper Steve Stauff Grade: B+ Biochemistry in the Real World Ethics of cloning Most of us should know of the new scientific technology that has allowed us to clone mammals. First a sheep that was cloned in Scotland, and then a small monkey in Oregon. All this talk about cloning has forced people to think about other possibilities with this new breakthrough.
American Ethics Essay Research Paper American Beauty
American Ethics Essay, Research Paper American Beauty is a very intricate film portraying the sarcasm intertwined within American values, or beauties. Every scene within American Beauty influences each character in the movie as well as other scenes. The structure of this flick is as if it were not possible to remove one scene from the work, otherwise the entire movie would collapse like a domino effect.
Ethics Of Duty And Virtue Essay Research
Paper The most basic question in ethics of duty and ethics of virtue is what is human excellence, and how is it achieved?. However, the two fundamental approaches to answering this are significantly different. Ethics of duty focuses more on differentiating between what is morally right or wrong and on what our moral obligations are to ourselves and to our society.
Business Ethics Essay Research Paper As an
Business Ethics Essay, Research Paper As an editor of a weekly magazine, there are many responsibilities. Upper management recently came to the editor and told him that sales have dipped dramatically. He was also told, that if things do not turnaround soon, heads will roll. Along comes a story that he knows is ethically wrong, but will sell many magazines.
Modern Philosophy Essay Research Paper 1 The
Modern Philosophy Essay, Research Paper 1. The modern world is considered to be the time from the Renaisance (late 15th to 16th century) to the end of the 19th century. Many changes took place during these times. We first see a change in the Division of Philosophy. We see the Medieval Theopocentric views change to an anthropocentric view and monotheism to humanism.
Aristotle Essay Research Paper Aristotle analyzes the
Aristotle Essay, Research Paper Aristotle analyzes the goods and the virtues that lead to human beings toward happiness in book one of Nicomachean Ethics. According to Aristotle, every activity has an end (or goal); another way of saying this is that the aim of every activity is some kind of good. Concerning this, human existence itself must have some ultimate good.
Sexual Harassment Essay Research Paper In Gretchen
Sexual Harassment Essay, Research Paper In Gretchen Morgenson?s essay ?Sexual Harassment Is Overestimated?, Morgenson discusses how 38% of sexual harassment cases have been confirmed according to The New York Times/CBS toll. There are two types of harassment: quid pro quo harassment, in which career or job advancement is guaranteed in return for sexual favors, and environmental and environmental harassment, which unwelcome sexual conduct ?unreasonable interferes with an individual?s working environment or creates an ?intimidating, hostile, offensive working environment.
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
– An Environmental Disaster? Essay, Research Paper The Exxon Valdez Oil SpillAn Environmental Disaster?Presentation byDr. Ed Gilfilan Dr. Gilfilan?s presentation was about the studies that he did after the spill of theExxon Valdez. The Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef and spilled 11,000,000 gallons ofoil into the Prince William Sound in Alaska.
Everglade Dilemma Essay Research Paper Everglade DilemmaThe
Everglade Dilemma Essay, Research Paper Everglade Dilemma The worlds systems of life are of such complexity that even modern man can’t fully understand and predict it. The common word for this is Mother Nature and the question is the mystery of life. Life was created by a specific set of environmental and geologic features present at the same time.
Business Ethics Essay Research Paper Rewards for
Business Ethics Essay, Research Paper Rewards for “Good” Business Ethics Business ethics can be viewed as the principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business. Especially in today’s society, understanding and practicing the concepts of ethics is a key factor that many organizations stress among employees.
Business Ethics Essay Research Paper Business EthicsWhat
Business Ethics Essay, Research Paper Business Ethics What is business ethics? The answer to this question may be as simple as a company that complies with all the relevant rules and regulations. Or it may be more complex detailing the ways in which the corporation interacts with the world at large. The answer may also depend on who is asked the question.
Community Service Essay Research Paper Andrea OldhamCommunity
Community Service Essay, Research Paper Andrea Oldham Community Service Up to this date I haven’t participated in much community service, but once I get settled in a new home with my degree in environmental sciences, I plan to volunteer for a non-profit environmental organization, and this will be my job or career.
Business Essay Research Paper Business World TodayMy
Business Essay, Research Paper Business World Today My thoughts on the business world today are good and bad. I also think it depends on the person and the morals, or ethics they have. The study and evaluation of decision making by businesses according to moral concepts and judgments. Ethical questions range from practical, narrowly defined issues, such as a company s obligation to be honest with its customers, to broader social and philosophical questions, such as a company s responsibility to preserve the environment and protect employee rights.
Ethics Essay Research Paper Ethics have a
Ethics Essay, Research Paper Ethics have a fluid existence therefore making them extremely difficult to define. They are in a constant state of change. They change with the times within the individual. People change their ethics though the course of their lives due to things they’ve experienced and lessons they’ve learned.