There are many different philosophies when it comes to how we should protect the environment. Is it acceptable for humans to use natural resources to meet their own needs? Should we take the needs of other animals into account, and if so, when? Biocentric preservation is one philosophy that tries to answer the question of […]
Author: ISE
Current Issues in Environmental Ethics
While many of us are aware of the many environmental problems we face, from climate change to endangered species, we often overlook the ethical issues that these problems raise. Environmental ethics is a field of study focused on what is moral when it comes to the human relationship with nature, and helps us understand how […]
5 Must-Read Books on Environmental Ethics
Environmental ethics is the field of study that focuses on what is moral when it comes to how humans interact with the environment. While there are many books written by numerous philosophers in the field, we’ve pulled together a list of 5 books that have shaped environmental ethics and the environmental movement as a whole. […]
Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics: Do Animals Have the Right to Moral Treatment?
We often see environmental activism geared towards protecting animals. While saving the whales and protecting endangered elephants certainly feel like the right things to do, many of us haven’t stopped to consider why this feels right. Do we have a moral obligation to protect animals? In environmental ethics, animal rights is the belief that animals […]
John Muir’s Environmental Philosophy
John Muir was a naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, and a strong preservationist in the United States. Muir believed that nature must be protected from the destructive hands of people. He fought for the preservation of nature, which led to the establishment of the national parks we enjoy today. This is why he […]
Aldo Leopold and Environmental Ethics
An Overview of Aldo Leopold’s Contributions to Environmental Ethics Aldo Leopold was an author, philosopher, and ecologist famous for his contributions to the field of environmental ethics. He was also a founder of the science of wildlife management, and was a leader in the early environmentalist movement. In this article, we’ll review Aldo Leopold’s philosophies […]
Overview of Environmental Ethics Philosophers
While philosophers have focused on the human relationship with nature for nearly all of human history, questions of how humans should treat the environment were “formalized” by the academic field of environmental ethics. This article will provide an overview of some of the world’s most well-known environmental ethics philosophers. Background information: What Is Environmental Ethics? […]
What Is an Example of Environmental Ethics?
Environmental Ethics in Action Environmental ethics is a field of study that seeks to understand what is right and wrong when it comes to the human relationship with the environment. There are many different philosophies within environmental ethics, and each one argues for a different way of understanding our moral obligation to the natural world. […]
What Is Deep Ecology in Environmental Ethics?
Environmental ethics is a field of study focused on understanding the human relationship with nature and how we can act morally when it comes to the environment. Deep ecology is an environmental ethical philosophy (also known as an “ecosophy”) that argues that non-human life has inherent value, regardless of whether or not it is useful […]
Utilitarian Environmental Ethics: Characterization, Controversies, and Consequences
Environmental ethics is a branch of philosophy that tries to help us understand what is right when it comes to our relationship to the environment. Different environmental philosophies (sometimes known as eco-philosophies, or “ecosophies”) espouse varying beliefs on where humans stand in relation to nature, and what is moral when it comes to our treatment […]