Module VIII·Article III·~2 min read
Ecological Philosophy: The Human in Nature
Philosophy in the 21st Century
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The Anthropocene and the Crisis of Worldview
Geologists have proposed a new term for our era: the Anthropocene—the “age of humans.” Human activity has become a geological force: climate change, the sixth mass extinction, plastic pollution of the oceans, the nitrogen cycle. This is not just an environmental crisis—it is a crisis of the worldview that has placed the human at the center and above nature.
Ecological philosophy poses the question: how must we think about nature in order to deal with this crisis? Answers range from moderate (reforming capitalism) to radical (abandoning anthropocentrism altogether).
From Anthropocentrism to Ecocentrism
The Western tradition is anthropocentric: nature has value insofar as it serves the human. This stems from the biblical “dominion” over creatures, from Descartes’ vision of nature as a machine, from Kantian ethics with the rational subject at its center.
Ecocentrism (Aldo Leopold, Arne Næss) asserts: nature has value in and of itself, regardless of its usefulness to humans. Leopold’s “land ethic” (1949): “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” This redefines morality: not only humans, but ecosystems are moral subjects.
Næss’s “Deep Ecology” goes further: there is no hierarchy of species, all living things have equal value. This is radical biocentrism, which is difficult to implement practically (how can one live without killing anything at all?), but it is useful as a counterpoint to the position that “nature is a resource.”
Ecofeminism and Indigenous Knowledge
Ecofeminism (Karen Warren, Val Plumwood) connects criticism of patriarchy with criticism of domination over nature. Both are parts of a single worldview: “logic of domination”, which divides the world into a dominant subject and a subordinated object. Woman and nature are both “Others” to the male mind. The liberation of one is linked with the liberation of the other.
Indigenous philosophies (especially Andean and Native American) offer alternatives to Western anthropocentrism. The concept of “Pachamama” (Mother Earth) in the Andean tradition formed the basis of the constitutions of Ecuador and Bolivia, recognizing the rights of nature as a legal subject. This is a revolutionary legal experiment.
Climate Justice
The most current topic: climate change disproportionately affects the poor and non-Western countries, although it has historically been caused by wealthy countries. Climate justice is a matter of distributing burden and responsibility.
Philosopher Henry Shue: fundamental rights include the right to protection from catastrophic climate change. Rich countries violate this right by continuing intensive fossil fuel use. This is not charity—it is an obligation.
For business and policy: sustainability is no longer an optional value. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria are an attempt to translate ethics into the language of investment risk. The question is—to what extent is this sufficient?
Question for reflection: If nature had rights (as some legal systems already recognize), how would decision-making change in your organization or industry?
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