Ecocentrism Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This article aims to supplement the three “golden rules” of rewilding – or three Cs – the Cores, Carnivores, and Corridors – by a fourth C – Compassion, in discussing the case of Oostvaardeplassen in The Netherlands. The cores refer to... more

This article aims to supplement the three “golden rules” of rewilding – or three Cs – the Cores, Carnivores, and Corridors – by a fourth C – Compassion, in discussing the case of Oostvaardeplassen in The Netherlands. The cores refer to large, strictly protected ecologically intact areas, carnivores refer to natural predators, and corridors connect passages for fauna movements. We propose a fourth requirement: Compassion. This fourth C would ensure that any active (re)introduction must be in the interests of the individual animals involved. This article briefly explains the history of the Oostvaardeplassen project and leads into a discussion of the scientific (biological requirements of the species, area, and species fit, etc. ) and ethical (animal welfare, ecocentrism, etc.) constraints and opportunities for rewilding. All four Cs, we argue, are absent from Oostvaardeplassen, which can be considered an example of how rewilding should not be undertaken. Against this background, we pr...

By examining several versions of eco-centrism, I argue that environmental eco-centrism fails as a normative principle. Consequentialist versions fail since they cannot generate traditional moral principles and may in fact be inconsistent... more

By examining several versions of eco-centrism, I argue that environmental eco-centrism fails as a normative principle. Consequentialist versions fail since they cannot generate traditional moral principles and may in fact be inconsistent with traditional morality. Eco-centrism will therefore only make sense as a nonconsequentialist principle, particularly as a prima facie duty-based principle. However, duty-based eco-centrism also fails since the list of environmental duties it recommends will be the same as the list recommended on a purely anthropocentric approach. In short, eco-centrism is irrelevant to the process of both arriving at our environmental duties, and resolving conflicts with human duties.

The present catalogue text discerns between two kinds of eco-centric works the Austrian artist Herwig Scherabon presented in his latest solo exhibition “Against Nature“ (July 2021, Berlin Neukölln): landscapist and objectivist. Whereas... more

The present catalogue text discerns between two kinds of eco-centric works the Austrian artist Herwig Scherabon presented in his latest solo exhibition “Against Nature“ (July 2021, Berlin Neukölln): landscapist and objectivist. Whereas Herwig's landscapist works are both nets-of and knots-in, and thus ontology-wise rather conventional; his objectivist works are ontologically most striking as they exclusively are nets, but no knots. For this reason, they are focused on here. The artist conjures these singular existences by means of black space that is isolating, yet not weakening, but rather empowering, even “monstrouizing“ them. In so existing, they emit an ontologically provocative statement: Distance is not debilitating, but rather an invitation to become.

This article supports the perspective that environmental cons-titutionalism is a global and foundational subject. Considering the novelty and thin base of this only emerging field of inquiry, it aims for making some suggestions for... more

This article supports the perspective that environmental cons-titutionalism is a global and foundational subject. Considering the novelty and thin base of this only emerging field of inquiry, it aims for making some suggestions for formulating the purpose and scope of environmental constitutionalism in a global range. Moreover, considering that the very nature of environmental rights is more fundamental than classic human rights, the mind-set and methodology applied to the studies of constitutionalism all over the world must change its basis from anthropocentrism to an ecocentrism, by incorporating sustainability as a constitutional principle. In this way, the first steps towards a global environmental constitutionalism are being taken in the last few years. But the subject is still challenging.

This text was originally written for the tenth anniversary issue of the Journal of Environmental Thought and Education (Japan). This is an expanded and revised version (June 20, 2018). Links to several earlier versions are included.

Environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) researchers and practitioners offer a well-founded critique of authoritarian tendencies and the threat of student indoctrination into neoliberalist values.... more

Environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) researchers and practitioners offer a well-founded critique of authoritarian tendencies and the threat of student indoctrination into neoliberalist values. Neoliberalism advocates economic growth through open markets and tends to ignore sustainability imperatives. Some researchers are also wary of any type of advocacy in education for the fear of indoctrination, warning against using education as a tool for behavioral change, regulated according to predetermined guidelines. This article supports the critics’ caution against neoliberalism, which privileges economic development and tends to ignore other concerns. This article addresses the question of how could educators create meaningful EE/ESD programs within or as an alternative to neoliberalism and discuss larger societal implications of transition to more progressive models. It is proposed that educational practice can be more effectively utilized in order to address unsustainable practices, by engaging with the most effective modes of sustainability and particularly important, critically reflecting upon realistic possibilities of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. It will be argued that we need a more focused EE/ESD that takes as its basis our common future on the planet of finite resources that necessarily need to engage more ‘radical’ perspectives.

This paper attempts to bring some clarity to the debate among sentientists, biocentrists, and ecocentrists on the issue of who or what can count as a candidate recipient of justice. I begin by examining the concept of justice and argue... more

This paper attempts to bring some clarity to the debate among sentientists, biocentrists, and ecocentrists on the issue of who or what can count as a candidate recipient of justice. I begin by examining the concept of justice and argue that the character of duties and entitlements of justice sets constraints on the types of entities that can be recipients of justice. Specifically, I contend that in order to be a recipient of justice, one must be the bearer of enforceable moral claim rights. I then suggest that this has important implications for the dispute among sentientists, biocentrists, and ecocentrists. In brief, I show that sentientists cannot exclude nonsentient entities from the domain of justice merely by denying that they have “the right kind of interests,” and biocentrists and ecocentrists cannot move seamlessly from some feature of living things or ecosystems to entitlements of justice. I further argue that ultimately this disagreement on the bounds of justice bottoms out in a normative disagreement about which entities possess moral claim rights, and that the case for biotic or ecosystem rights has yet to be convincingly established.

This article argues that the Strasbourg system of environmental human rights can and ought to transition to the regime of ecological human rights. It proposes that, independently of the possible recognition of the autonomous right to a... more

This article argues that the Strasbourg system of environmental human rights can and ought to transition to the regime of ecological human rights. It proposes that, independently of the possible recognition of the autonomous right to a healthy environment, such transition can be achieved by integrating ecological minimum standards into the European Court of Human Rights' 'fair balance' review. These ecological minimum standards are a set of notions that express the legal paradigms of immersive anthropocentrism and ecocentrism; that give due consideration to climate and biodiversity crises; that include the concepts of sustainable development and sustainable use of natural resources; as well as the principles of intergenerational equity, precaution, and in dubio pro natura. A comparative law methodology is employed to illustrate the effective judicial integration of such standards by fundamental and human rights jurisdictions in Latin America.

This article will discuss social, environmental, and ecological justice in education for sustainable development (ESD) and Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDG). The concept of sustainable development and, by extension, the... more

This article will discuss social, environmental, and ecological justice in education for sustainable development (ESD) and Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDG). The concept of sustainable development and, by extension, the ESD, places heavy emphasis on the economic and social aspects of sustainability. However, the ESD falls short of recognizing ecological justice, or recognition that nonhumans also have a right to exist and flourish. An intervention in the form of an undergraduate course titled Politics, Business, and Environment (PBE) will be discussed. As part of this course, students were asked to reflect on the three pillars of sustainable development: society, economy, and environment, linking these to the fourth concept, ecological justice or biospheric egalitarianism. Biospheric egalitarianism is characterized by the recognition of intrinsic value in the environment and is defined as concern about justice for the environment. Some of the resulting exam answers are analyzed, demonstrating students’ ability to recognize the moral and pragmatic limitations of the anthropocentric approach to justice. This analysis presents ways forward in thinking about the role of “ecological justice” as the ultimate bottom line upon which both society and economy are based.

The recent shift towards the interdisciplinary study of the human-environment relationship is largely driven by environmental justice debates. This article will distinguish four types of environmental justice and link them to questions of... more

The recent shift towards the interdisciplinary study of the human-environment relationship is largely driven by environmental justice debates. This article will distinguish four types of environmental justice and link them to questions of neoliberalism and altruism. First, environmental justice seeks to redress inequitable distribution of environmental burdens to vulnerable groups and economically disadvantaged populations. Second, environmental justice highlights the developed and developing countries’ unequal exposure to environmental risks and benefits.
Third, temporal environmental justice refers to the issues associated with intergenerational justice or concern for future generations of humans. In all three cases, environmental justice entails equitable distribution of burdens and benefits to different nations or social groups. By contrast, ecological justice involves biospheric egalitarianism or justice between species. This article will focus on ecological justice since the rights of non-human species lags behind social justice debates and discuss the implications of including biospheric egalitarianism in environmental justice debates.

Les relations des humains avec les autres êtres naturels reçoivent désormais l’attention des éthiques du care. La vulnérabilité de ces êtres devant l’action humaine invite à une culture de la sensibilité morale élargie à l’environnement,... more

Les relations des humains avec les autres êtres naturels reçoivent désormais l’attention des éthiques du care. La vulnérabilité de ces êtres devant l’action humaine invite à une culture de la sensibilité morale élargie à l’environnement, en particulier aux animaux. L’éthique animale émanant du care, par son attention au contexte, aux singularités et aux différences, entre en contraste avec celle de Peter Singer. On peut rattacher cette dernière à la démarche plus générale des éthiques environnementales gravitant autour de la notion de valeur intrinsèque des entités naturelles. Alors que celles-ci travaillent à établir des critères objectifs, internes aux objets naturels, capables de lier de droit l’action morale, les éthiques du care s’intéressent à la formation d’un ethos de souci envers la nature. Par cet accent quasi exclusif sur le pôle subjectif et relationnel de l’éthique environnementale, le care peine à inclure les ensembles naturels et leurs ressorts discrets (par exemple : les microorganismes) dans le spectre de la considération morale. Déjouant les oppositions habituelles entre éthiques du care et de la valeur intrinsèque, l’éthique de la terre initiée par Aldo Leopold allie les vertus des premières à un écocentrisme éthique dont les critères sont arrimés à la connaissance scientifique de l’écologie.

It is important to embrace the responsibility that comes with the new geological epoch of the Anthropocene, which, in terms of environmental law, requires nothing less than a radical revisiting of its basics tenets. In an attempt to... more

It is important to embrace the responsibility that comes with the new geological epoch of the Anthropocene, which, in terms of environmental law, requires nothing less than a radical revisiting of its basics tenets. In an attempt to incorporate the Anthropocene to my ongoing project on Critical Environmental Law, I examine it from three angles: grammar, theoretical perspective and methodology. Grammar refers to the need for a new, anthropocenic vocabulary that will deal with the challenges of the Anthropocene. To this effect, I suggest some terms, such as continuum/rupture, human/nonhuman/inhuman, as well as geologic immersion and planetary withdrawal. Theoretical perspective refers to the way current thinking changes or at least is affected by the Anthropocene – indeed, how current environmental legal thinking is turning in order to accommodate the needs of the new epoch. Finally, methodology refers to the way the Anthropocene changes the way we seek knowledge and the epistemological presuppositions of the limits of such knowledge. I offer four theses in the form of suggestions on how Critical Environmental Law needs to adapt methodologically in order to integrate the Anthropocenic grammar and perspective.

For centuries, people looked on nature and animals which are important elements for nature, with their own sovereignty perspective. In time people became foreign not only to himself and the society he lives in but also to the nature and... more

For centuries, people looked on nature and animals which are important elements for nature, with their own sovereignty perspective. In time people became foreign not only to himself and the society he lives in but also to the nature and ecologic whole that he is member. Because of increasing population according as industrial revolution, depending on unconscious and the excessive use of natural resources, the ecological balance spoiled increasingly , leads increasing environmental issues rapidly, while providing increased requirements to be met for the emerging urban, Using industrial, agricultural and other land uses to provi-de/compensate increased requirements leads to fragmentation of the natural fields. With the fragmentation of building motorways in nature, disruption of wildlife, wild animals caused many traffic accidents. Ecological channels, Badger pipe, Ecological pipe and Ecoducts are made to pass in front of them. Ecoducts that are made suitable to their purposes both play an important role in protecting wildlife and provide a significant reduction in the number of traffic accidents was found. In Europe the first natural life bridge has been done in the Netherlands. It was held on the highway connecting Mediterranean to Central Anatolia in Turkey in 2009. In this study, was aimed to investigate increasing importance of ecoducts in recent years on wildlife conservation and in this direction in the function of human and relationships between animal and environment with the point of ethical and legal dimension. International wildlife treaties, the relevant regulations of the Ministry of Environment and Forests were the research sources of this study. Although Turkey's legal arrangements are collateral with international regulations , executive works has just begun, it is found that in Netherlands and many European countries have extensive coverage of the issue in practice. As a result, ecoducts have important role in preventing habitat fragmentation and thus protecting wildlife conservation and providing sustainable continuity. It can be said states should fasten works on this subject.

CONTENTS: Editorial (1) Analyses of the impacts of UTG – Pete Hay & Geoff Holloway - in two parts; (2) The Values Party (New Zealand) & UTG (Tasmania): a comparative analysis of the world’s first two ‘Green’ parties – Geoff Holloway; (3)... more

CONTENTS: Editorial (1) Analyses of the impacts of UTG – Pete Hay & Geoff Holloway - in two parts; (2) The Values Party (New Zealand) & UTG (Tasmania): a comparative analysis of the world’s first two ‘Green’ parties – Geoff Holloway; (3) Lake Pedder: Prince Philip’s visit to Tasmania (1973) - Geoff Holloway, Geoff Mosley & Charles Donnelly; (4) UTG’s Richmond Fair (1974) – Geoff Holloway & Bob Graham; (5) The Story of a Sticker (South West Tasmania World Heritage sticker) – Geoff Holloway; (6) You don’t know what you have lost until it is gone: the forest giants of kunanyi/Mt Wellington – Kevin Kiernan; (7) A New Ethic

Although the contemporary biomimicry movement is associated primarily with the idea of taking Nature as model for technological innovation, it also contains a normative or ethical principle – Nature as measure – that may be treated in... more

Although the contemporary biomimicry movement is associated primarily with the idea of taking Nature as model for technological innovation, it also contains a normative or ethical principle – Nature as measure – that may be treated in relative isolation from the better known principle of Nature as model. Drawing on discussions of the principle of Nature as measure put forward by biomimicry theorist, Janine Benyus (1997), and agro-ecologist, Wes Jackson (2010, 2011), while at the same time situating this principle in relation to contemporary debates in the philosophy of biomimicry (Mathews 2011, Dicks 2015, Blok and Gremmen 2016), this paper explores the relation between the principle of Nature as measure and environmental ethics. This leads to the argument that mainstream formulations of environmental ethics share the common trait of seeing our ethical relation to Nature as primarily involving duties to protect, preserve, or conserve various values in Nature, and that, in doing so, they problematically either overlook or dismiss as anthropocentric the possibility that Nature may provide measures, understood in terms of ecological laws and principles, against which our own practices, or at least some of them, may be judged – a way of thinking I call “biomimetic ethics”. The practical consequences of this argument are significant. Whereas mainstream environmental ethics is applicable above all to such issues as wilderness preservation, natural resource management, and animal rights and welfare, biomimetic ethics applies rather to the question of how we produce, use, and consume things, and, as such, may potentially provide the basic ethical framework required to underpin the transition to a circular, bio-based, solar economy.

Today, many European countries have green political parties with modest success. However, existence or measure of the success of the green parties is insufficient to explain the current effect of ecologism on mainstream politics. Most... more

Today, many European countries have green political parties with modest success. However, existence or measure of the success of the green parties is insufficient to explain the current effect of ecologism on mainstream politics. Most political parties and movements are concerned about advertising with green references. Then how can we explain the effect of ecologism which is relatively new to politics? And how did green political thought become a distinct International Relations theory? Answers to such questions are controversial due to the young and complex nature of the green theory. This chapter explains the main questions about green theory by mentioning major
theoretical discussions.

Commonly conceived, sustainable development is concerned with social and economic equity and maintenance of ecological stability for future generations. The Brundtland Report addresses the ethical principles of intragenerational and... more

Commonly conceived, sustainable development is concerned with social and economic equity and maintenance of ecological stability for future generations. The Brundtland Report addresses the ethical principles of intragenerational and intergenerational equity as fundamental pillars of sustainable development. This equity is often defined in economic terms, involving fair distribution of natural resources, and in practice dependent on the workings of a neoliberal market economy. Simultaneously, it is assumed that democratic learning enables students to be critically rational and ethical agents able to make informed choices in regard to sustainability challenges. This article questions whether the benefits of sustainable development should be meant for humans only, and whether concern for environmental sustainability should be limited to the environment's ability to accommodate social and economic equity. It is argued that the dominant form of pluralism employed within education is essentially anthropocentric, prioritizing social justice over interests of more-than-humans. This article will argue for a bolder move in the direction of inclusive pluralism through eco-representation and reinstatement of education for nature.

Anthropocentrism, in its original connotation in environmental ethics, is the belief that value is human-centred and that all other beings are means to human ends. Environmentally-concerned authors have argued that anthropocentrism is... more

Anthropocentrism, in its original connotation in environmental ethics, is the belief that value is human-centred and that all other beings are means to human ends. Environmentally-concerned authors have argued that anthropocentrism is ethically wrong and at the root of ecological crises. Some environmental ethicists argue, however, that critics of anthropocentrism are misguided or even misanthropic. They contend: first that criticism of anthropocentrism can be counterproductive and misleading by failing to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate human interests. Second, that humans differ greatly in their environmental impacts, and consequently, addressing human inequalities should be a precondition for environmental protection. Third, since ecosystems constitute the ''life-support system’’ for humans, anthropocentrism can and should be a powerful motivation for
environmental protection. Fourth, human self-love is not only natural but helpful as a starting point for loving others, including nonhumans. Herein we analyze such arguments, agreeing with parts of them while advancing four counter-arguments. First, redefining the term anthropocentrism seems to be an attempt to ignore
behavior in which humans focus on themselves at the risk of the planet. Second, if addressing human inequalities is a precondition for environmental protection, biodiversity protection will remain out of the scope of ethical consideration for an indefinite period of time. Third, anthropocentric motivations can only make a positive contribution to the environment in situations where humans are conscious
of a direct benefit to themselves. Fourth, ‘self-love’ alone is an inadequate basis for environmental concern and action. We also explore the question of agency, shared responsibility, and a fair attribution of blame for our environmental predicaments.

El 21 de mayo de 2022 falleció Rosemary RADFORD RUETHER, a sus 85 años, en Pamona, California, EEUU. Leer, releer, volver a meditar este libro suyo, de hace exactamente 30 años, puede ser nuestro mejor homenaje. Ya hace años que Servicios... more

El 21 de mayo de 2022 falleció Rosemary RADFORD RUETHER, a sus 85 años, en Pamona, California, EEUU. Leer, releer, volver a meditar este libro suyo, de hace exactamente 30 años, puede ser nuestro mejor homenaje. Ya hace años que Servicios Koinonía, había publicado un capítulo en la revista RELaT (https://servicioskoinonia.org/relat/394.htm), pero todo el libro es digno de un repaso cuidadoso y meditativo.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD’S FIRST GREEN PARTY, UNITED TASMANIA GROUP (UTG) POLICY COMPILATION, 1972 - 2020. This publication is principally a compilation of UTG’s policies from 1972 to 2020 as part of the celebrations of the 50th year of... more

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD’S FIRST GREEN PARTY, UNITED TASMANIA GROUP (UTG) POLICY COMPILATION, 1972 - 2020. This publication is principally a compilation of UTG’s policies from 1972 to 2020 as part of the celebrations of the 50th year of the world’s first ‘Green’ party (the term ‘Green’ had not been invented back then and, when it was it became a term of abuse, especially in Tasmania). UTG is the political party that invented green politics, with major impacts not only in Tasmania but the rest of Australia and globally. UTG’s policies are reproduced here with historical accuracy, i.e., no content editing and no grammar corrections.
It is sometimes said that the Tasmanian Greens evolved out of UTG. However, that is not entirely accurate, if not misleading, for four main reasons. First, very few UTG members went on to participate in the Green Independents (1989), who later became the Tasmanian Greens. The second reason is that UTG’s philosophy is based on ecocentrism - by contrast, the Greens are anthropocentric. The third reason is that UTG’s policies are very different from those of the present Greens – as is demonstrated across its extensive policies reproduced here. The fourth reason is UTG’s foundational document called ‘A New Ethic’, which is a set of ethical principles, something much lacking in today’s politics. Errata: Page 3, UTG State Conference was in 1975 (not 1976); page 5, the last UTG election campaign was 1977 (not 1997). CORRECTIONS: PAGE 3 - The UTG State Conference was 1975, not 1976; PAGE 5 - the last UTG election campaign was 1977; PAGE 125 - there were 20 UTG branches, not 17.

Design is a distinct form of practice with a typical focus on human aspirations for products, buildings, infrastructure, urban spaces, services and land use. As such, design affects all planetary environments, societies and the... more

Design is a distinct form of practice with a typical focus on human aspirations for products, buildings, infrastructure, urban spaces, services and land use. As such, design affects all planetary environments, societies and the capabilities of individual humans. This chapter begins by establishing design as both a force responsible for the current situation and a primary concern of the future. Next, the chapter uses cities as a characteristic example of significantly modified habitats that are simultaneously biological and cultural. The cultures within such habitats combine the behaviours and traditions of many lifeforms. Consequently, the chapter argues that design approaches to the management of future habitats – conceptualised as ‘interspecies design’ – must engage with non-human as well as human cultures. This has implications for theoretical and practical engagements with the Anthropocene, pointing to the significance of design and the need for a transformation of design practices.

Ecocentrism is the broadest term for worldviews that recognize intrinsic value in all lifeforms and ecosystems themselves, including their abiotic components. Anthropocentrism, in contrast, values other lifeforms and ecosystems insofar as... more

Ecocentrism is the broadest term for worldviews that recognize intrinsic value in all lifeforms and ecosystems themselves, including their abiotic components. Anthropocentrism, in contrast, values other lifeforms and ecosystems insofar as they are valuable for human well-being, preferences and interests. Herein, the authors examine the roots of ecocentrism and discuss its mixed history of international recognition. They argue that non-human nature has intrinsic value irrespective of human preferences or valuation, and they refute the claim that ecocentrism is misanthropic. They then summarize four key examples from the academic literature in which anthropocentrism fails to provide an ethic adequate for respecting and protecting planet Earth and its inhabitants. The authors conclude that ecocentrism is essential for solving our unprecedented environmental crisis, arguing its importance from four perspectives: ethical, evolutionary, spiritual and ecological. They contend that a social transformation towards ecocentrism is not only an ethical but a practical imperative, and they urge support for ecocentric understanding and practices.

This article introduces the notion of interspecies cultures and highlights its consequences for the ethics and practice of design. This discussion is critical because anthropogenic activities reduce the abundance, richness, and diversity... more

This article introduces the notion of interspecies cultures and highlights its consequences for the ethics and practice of design. This discussion is critical because anthropogenic activities reduce the abundance, richness, and diversity of human and nonhuman cultures. Design that aims to address these issues will depend on interspecies cultures that support the flourishing of all organisms. Combining research in architecture and urban ecology, we focus on the design of urban habitat-structures, i.e., any physical objects that support dwelling such as houses or nests. Design of such structures presents practical, theoretical, and ethical challenges. In response, we seek to align design to advancing knowledge of nonhuman cultures and more-than-human justice. We present interspecies design as an approach that incorporates human and nonhuman cultural knowledge in the management of future habitats. We ask: what is an ethically justifiable and practically plausible theoretical framework for interspecies design? In response, we explore the capabilities approach that seeks to pursue justice by supporting forms of wellbeing that human or nonhuman beings are able to achieve. Our central hypothesis is that the capabilities approach to justice can establish goals and evaluative practices for interspecies design. To test this hypothesis, we refer to an ongoing research project that aims to help the powerful owl (Ninox strenua) thrive in Australian cities. To establish possible goals for future interspecies design, we discuss powerful-owl capabilities in past, present, and possible future situations. We then consider the broader relevance of the capabilities approach by examining human-owl cultures in other settings, globally. Our case-study indicates that: 1) owl capabilities offer a useful baseline for future design; 2) cities diminish many owl capabilities but present opportunities for new cultural expressions; and 3) more ambitious design aspirations can support owl wellbeing in cities. The results demonstrate the capabilities approach can inform interspecies design processes, establish more equitable design goals, and set clearer criteria for success. These findings have important implications for researchers and built-environment practitioners who share the goal of supporting multispecies cohabitation in cities.

Pulse en el título, y verá 5 «files»: uno de presentación («Vigil-Cuatro libros...»), y los otros cuatro son los libros mismos. A pesar de la estrechez del espacio, se puede distinguir ahí los libros por sus títulos: pulse en el... more

Pulse en el título, y verá 5 «files»: uno de presentación («Vigil-Cuatro libros...»), y los otros cuatro son los libros mismos.
A pesar de la estrechez del espacio, se puede distinguir ahí los libros por sus títulos: pulse en el título del libro que quiera recoger.
Son cuatro libros de ecología, para cuya re-edición digital ha mediado la Agenda Latinoamericana; sus autores y/o editoriales los ponen a la libre disposición pública, muy generosamente.
Son libros que ayudan a cambiar nuestra «visión», nuestra «experiencia espiritual» respecto de la naturaleza y el cosmos, e incluso la visión que tenemos de nosotros mismos, encuadrada ahora en el marco de nuestra pertenencia al cosmos que nos da el nuevo relato cosmológico, la nueva imagen del cosmos que nos da la ciencia.
Libros excelentes para la lectura y para la meditación personal, así como para trabajar pedagógicamente en grupo o en comunidad el tema de este nuevo «paradigma eco-centrado», o de la ecología integral (spiritual deep ecology, o 'espiritualidad oikocentrada', centrada en el 'cosmos-oikos').

Etymologically derived from the Greek words ά νθϱωπoς (anthropos, or human being) and κ ́εντϱoν (kentron, or center), the term “anthropocentrism” is a worldview that privileges the aim of improving human welfare over other aspirations.... more

Etymologically derived from the Greek words ά νθϱωπoς (anthropos, or human being) and κ ́εντϱoν (kentron, or center), the term “anthropocentrism” is a worldview that privileges
the aim of improving human welfare over other aspirations. The commonly held meaning of anthropocentrism is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, “regarding humankind as the central or most important element of existence.” While anthropocentrism
literally means human-centeredness, the term is used in different ways. According to the environmental philosopher Baird Callicott (2006, 119), anthropocentrism presupposes that “only humans are worthy of ethical considerations” and “other things are mere means to human ends.” The terms “human chauvinism” and “speciesism” are closely related to anthropocentrism.

Vea el elenco de los principales videos de nuestra reciente VideoTeca: * «OIKÍA. Espiritualidad eco-centrada». Primero de una serie o lista de reproducción. * «Cambio de rasante»: ideas ágiles y rompedoras para no dejar de caminar. *... more

Vea el elenco de los principales videos de nuestra reciente VideoTeca:
* «OIKÍA. Espiritualidad eco-centrada». Primero de una serie o lista de reproducción.
* «Cambio de rasante»: ideas ágiles y rompedoras para no dejar de caminar.
* Respondiendo las preguntas de universitarios en reacción a la propuesta del no teísmo.
* «Los signos de los tiempos del Vaticano II, hoy son los Nuevos Paradigmas», estrenado el 19 de noviembre.
* «El primado del obispo de Roma», también bajo el nuevo paradigma arqueológico bíblico.
* «Cuando Judá se convierte en Israel»: la nueva historia de Israel, desenterrada arqueológicamente en las tres últimas décadas, algo que nunca nos pudieron enseñar.
* «Presentación popular sencilla del 'No teísmo'»: para comenzar a entenderlo y superar las preguntas que surgen. 143 visualizaciones.
* «El Rosario: una visión desde los Nuevos Paradigmas» (un paradigma es un filtro, una lente, una perspectiva que se aplica a todo, ¡lo nuevo y lo viejo...!).

This thesis locates itself in the field of critical green political theory. It takes the present environmental crisis as its object of study to provide a critical account of the way it is currently addressed in dominant Anthropocene... more

This thesis locates itself in the field of critical green political theory. It takes the present environmental crisis as its object of study to provide a critical account of the way it is currently addressed in dominant Anthropocene narratives and liberal capitalist growth-based institutions. This work offers a constructive and emancipatory delineation of what could be an ecological civilisation respectful of its natural environment and social differences, and describes how to shift from an ‘arrogant speciesism’ and materialistic lifestyle to a post-anthropocentric ecological humanism focusing on the ‘good life’ within ecological limits. Whilst there are already countless research works and books dealing with this issue, the major novelty of this thesis is to propose a green republican analysis building on John Barry’s work that covers the ethical, political, and economic aspects of the transition away from ‘actually existing unsustainability’. Taking as a starting point the society as it is constituted today and not as it should be, that is a consumer capitalist society characterised by ecologically flawed ontological, ethical, and practical approaches, this dissertation presents a normative investigation concerned with the real world applicability of the changes it suggests to implement. Indeed, while rooted in ethical thinking and political philosophy, this thesis seeks to offer a concrete roadmap of how sustainable societies can be fostered. It, therefore, represents an attempt in the field of ‘realist utopianism’, that is a position committed to a transformative narrative which advocates humans’ reconciliation (and re-connection) with the planet and the more than human world. This work aims at integrating and synthesising across different bodies of knowledge such as Earth Systems Sciences (ESS), philosophy, political theory, political science, political economy, ecological economics, but also sociology, psychology, and cultural studies. In this regard, it is an interdisciplinary applied form of critical green political theorising.

Este ritual fue creado originalmente por la hermana Miriam Terese McGillis en los años 80 para celebrar la nueva visión de la creación. Desde entonces se ha realizado en todo el mundo en muchos contextos diferentes. A su vez, nuestra... more

Este ritual fue creado originalmente por la hermana Miriam Terese McGillis en los años 80 para celebrar la nueva visión de la creación. Desde entonces se ha realizado en todo el mundo en muchos contextos diferentes. A su vez, nuestra versión, reelaborada a partir de la celebrada y difundida[1] en enero de 2017 por la Unitarian Universalist Church de Santa Fe[2] (NM, uusantafe.org), quiere poner en valor los principales saltos cualitativos o 'emergencias' de nuestro Universo. Lo que ofrecemos es fundamentalmente un texto, lo que podría ser el guión para la narración/proclamación del nuevo relato cósmico que hoy tenemos a nuestra disposición los humanos, por primera vez, y que constituirá el núcleo de la celebración. El texto es amplio y puede resultar excesivo para algunas comunidades o en determinadas ocasiones; quienes preparen la celebración deben ver si la reducen, ya sea eliminando algunos párrafos menos significativos para la comunidad, o reduciendo/recortando otros párrafos. Mantenemos nuestro ofrecimiento del texto amplio, tanto porque es más fácil recortar un texto que ampliarlo, cuanto porque en las celebraciones amplias y distendidas, como una vigilia pascual, incluso podrá resultar corto. Además, el texto está pensado también para la meditación/oración personal. El texto no pretende ser un texto racional científico, sino que está pensado, al contrario, para provocar la admiración, la reverencia ante el Misterio que se nos manifiesta en el cosmos y su desarrollo evolutivo; leerlo sin esta perspectiva espiritual y esta intención de oración, sería no entenderlo. Las notas del texto no formar parte del texto a proclamar; pretenden más bien dar pistas para una posible ampliación o profundización, y ayudar cuando el texto se utilice para la oración-meditación personal.

Ecocriticism is the study of environment and literature in different perspectives, where literary critics evaluate the texts which exemplify the environmental issues. It is the demonstration of nature and natural objects. In... more

Ecocriticism is the study of environment and literature in different perspectives, where literary critics evaluate the texts which exemplify the environmental issues. It is the demonstration of nature and natural objects. In Ecocriticism, there is a close association between environment and literature. As a separate movement or school of literary criticism, ecocriticism started developing in the 1990s. The ecocritics showed the behavior of man with physical environment through their works. Literature became an important tool for critics in order to highlight the environmental issues. William Rueckert has been the first author who used this term in his essay Literature and ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism in 1978. Rachel Carson is known as the one of the forerunner of environmental studies. She first time highlights the issues of environmental decay through the use of chemicals like DDT. Ecocriticism existed since the romantic period, although it came into limelight in the second half of 20th century. The environmental catastrophe did not remain confined to the natural sciences only but it made its way to social sciences and humanities too. In the contemporary era the critics focused on nature and society. So ecocriticism become a new field for research, researchers are worrying about environment because ecological balance is most important in globalize world. Indian authors did not remain passive in this particular field. They too take the issue very seriously in their respective works. Indian English authors are very conscious about the environment and environmental objects. They used nature as a background in their works very beautifully. Authors like as Amitav Ghosh, R.K.Narayan, Raja Rao, Kamala Markandaya, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai, Jayant Mahapatra, Ramanujan, Bhavani Bhattacharya. Ecological balance has become the recurrent issue of the present time in the entire universe, it has been highlighted an international level.

Este artículo de Berry, publicado en la RELaT, Revista Electrónica Latinoamericana de Teología (nº 458), fue objeto de una presentación por parte de David MOLINEAUX, recogida en la videoteca de los Servicios Koinonía, SK3, accesible... more

Este artículo de Berry, publicado en la RELaT, Revista Electrónica Latinoamericana de Teología (nº 458), fue objeto de una presentación por parte de David MOLINEAUX, recogida en la videoteca de los Servicios Koinonía, SK3, accesible directamente aquí:
https://youtu.be/Bm-Pipe1Jyc
«¿Qué ves cuando miras las estrellas brillantes en los cielos de la media noche? ¿Qué ves cuando el amanecer aparece en el horizonte, por el Este? ¿En qué piensas cuando, en los últimos días del verano, los pájaros se van de viaje al Sur, o en el otoño, cuando las hojas se vuelven marrones y se las lleva el viento? ¿En qué piensas cuando miras el océano por la noche? ¿Qué ves? La mayoría de los pueblos primitivos veían en estos fenómenos naturales un mundo más allá de las apariencias efímeras, un mundo perdurable, un mundo formado por las maravillas del Sol y las nubes de día, por las estrellas y los planetas de noche, un mundo que incluía lo humano de forma profunda y significativa. Este otro mundo era el guardián, el maestro, el sanador, la fuente de la que procedían los humanos, en la que se nutrían, protegían, guiaban. Este mundo era el destino al que regresábamos».

PARTY WITH ECOCENTRIC VALUES CHALLENGES THE POLITICAL ORTHODOXY IN TASMANIA. Ecocentrism is an all-encompassing concept that covers geo-diversity and biocentrism but extends the latter. Also, by definition, ecocentrism is the basis of... more

PARTY WITH ECOCENTRIC VALUES CHALLENGES THE POLITICAL ORTHODOXY IN TASMANIA. Ecocentrism is an all-encompassing concept that covers geo-diversity and biocentrism but extends the latter. Also, by definition, ecocentrism is the basis of calls for the Rights of Nature and is the fundamental basis of Deep Ecology (including Deep Green Resistance). Eco-centrism is the opposite of anthropocentrism. This creates a divide within the Green/environment/conservation movement – but a largely unacknowledged divide (however, United Tasmania Group [UTG] has experienced clashes with the anthropocentric section of this movement). As Kopnina et al point out (2018), anthropocentrism supports and is based on utilitarianism and human self-interest. They also argue that there is no such thing as ‘good’ anthropocentrism or, for that matter, ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ human interests. I have argued elsewhere about the limitations and consequences of utilitarian and bureaucratic attempts to redefine wilderness (Holloway 2018). Anthropocentrism is not just about capitalism (or for that matter, socialism) and economic elites; it is about the ideology that privileges humans above the rest of nature (Kopnina et al, 2017).

On Tuesday April 22, 2015, Denmark banned bestiality. This paper argues that all acts are bestiality are immoral because human relations to domesticated animals is one of master to slave. Domesticated animals who are subject to bestiality... more

On Tuesday April 22, 2015, Denmark banned bestiality. This paper argues that all acts are bestiality are immoral because human relations to domesticated animals is one of master to slave. Domesticated animals who are subject to bestiality are neither free to choose or able to act on their own interest.

Anthropocentrism is the belief that value is human-centered and that all other beings are means to human ends. The Oxford English Dictionary defines anthropocentrism as “regarding humankind as the central or most important element of... more

Anthropocentrism is the belief that value is human-centered and that all other beings are means to human ends. The Oxford English Dictionary defines anthropocentrism as “regarding humankind as the central or most important element of existence”. Anthropocentrism focuses on humanistic values as opposed to values found in non-human beings or ecosystems.
With the popularization of the concept of ecosystem services, the idea of protecting the environment for the sake of human welfare is reflected in the SDGs. Within the SDGs, the instrumental use of the environment for the sake of alleviating poverty, combatting climate change, and addressing a range of other social and economic issues is promoted. Since the conception of the SDGs, there has been a discussion about anthropocentrism in ‘sustainable development’ (e.g., Kopnina 2016a and 2017, Strang 2017, Adelman 2018; Kotzé and French 2018) and how the SDGs can be antithetical to effective responses to sustainability challenges.
The SDGs’ accent on economic growth and social equality as well as environmental protection actually result in ethical as well as practical paradoxes. While central to the SDG’s is ‘sustained and inclusive economic growth’ (UN 2015), the prioritization is on the economy, NOT the planet that nurtures both social and economic systems. Anthropocentrism, in this case, refers to the exclusive focus on short-term human benefits, whereas biodiversity loss is not considered a great moral wrong (Cafaro and Primack 2014).
The three overarching anthropocentric SDG goals, economic growth, resilience, and inclusion, will be critically examined below and ways forward will be proposed.

The first part of this paper provides a series of conceptual critiques to illustrate how the recent move to inaugurate a " post-nature " world works to vindicate anthropocentric perspectives and a techno-managerial approach to the... more

The first part of this paper provides a series of conceptual critiques to illustrate how the recent move to inaugurate a " post-nature " world works to vindicate anthropocentric perspectives and a techno-managerial approach to the environmental crisis. We contend with this premise and suggest that troubling nature has profound implications for education. In the second part, we provide case studies from nature-based programs in The Netherlands and Canada to demonstrate how anthropocentric thinking can be reinscribed even as we work towards " sustainability. " Despite the tenacity of human hubris and the advent of the Anthropocene, we suggest these troubled times are also rich with emerging " post-anthropocentric " perspectives and practices. As such we offer " rewilding " as a means to think about education that moves beyond the romantic vestiges of " Nature " without lapsing into delusions of human exceptionalism.

The Future of Conservation survey, launched in March 2017, has proposed a framework to help with interpreting the array of ethical stances underpinning the motivations for biological conservation. In this article we highlight what is... more

The Future of Conservation survey, launched in March 2017, has proposed a framework to help with interpreting the array of ethical stances underpinning the motivations for biological conservation. In this article we highlight what is missing in this debate to date. Our overall aim is to explore what an acceptance of ecocentric ethics would mean for how conservation is practised and how its policies are developed. We start by discussing the shortcomings of the survey and present a more convincing and accurate categorization of the conservation debate. Conceiving the future of conservation as nothing less than an attempt to preserve abundant life on earth, we illustrate the strategic and ethical advantage of ecocentric over anthropocentric approaches to conservation. After examining key areas of the current debate we endorse and defend the Nature Needs Half and bio-proportionality proposals. These proposals show how the acceptance of an ecocentric framework would aid both practices and policies aimed at promoting successful conservation. We conclude that these proposals bring a radically different and more effective approach to conservation than anthropocentric approaches, even though the latter purport to be pragmatic.

Anthropologists have mediated between discriminated communities and outsiders, helping to influence public opinion through advocacy work. But can anthropological advocacy be applied to the case of violence against nonhumans? Ethical... more

Anthropologists have mediated between discriminated communities and outsiders, helping to influence public opinion through advocacy work. But can anthropological advocacy be applied to the case of violence against nonhumans? Ethical inquiries in anthropology also engage with the manifold ways through which human and nonhuman lives are entangled and emplaced within wider ecological relationships, converging in the so-called multispecies ethnography, but failing to account for exploitation. Reflecting on this omission, this article discusses the applicability of engaged anthropology to the range of issues from the use of nonhumans in medical experimentation and food production industry, to habitat destruction, and in broader contexts involving violence against nonhumans. Concluding that the existing forms of anthropological engagement are inadequate in dealing with the massive scale of nonhuman abuse, this article will suggest directions for a radical anthropology that engages with deep ecology, animal rights, animal welfare, and ecological justice.

Invasion biology is increasingly facing criticism, including for its moral attitudes towards “invasive alien species.” In this paper, we argue that invasion biology relies upon ethical assumptions of human supremacy that are... more

Invasion biology is increasingly facing criticism, including for its moral attitudes towards “invasive alien species.” In this paper, we argue that invasion biology relies upon ethical assumptions of human supremacy that are reflected in and reinforced by language used to categorize introduced animals in morally problematic ways. We discuss how denigratory scientific, of-ficial, and widely used terms such as “invasive,” “alien,” “pest,” and “feral” interact with the dubious treatment of animals, and we examine several aspects of how the demonizing meaning of these terms are shaped. The shaping factors we focus on are the differential treatment of “invasives” versus humans and other ecologically damaging animals, namely animals in agriculture, and the stock and performative treatment of animals labelled “invasive aliens.” We propose that such language should be essentially removed from biological and conservation sciences and consigned to history’s dustbin. In-deed, invasion biologists should come together to find a new name for their discipline—or rather, for the discipline “invasion biology” might become when it jettisons its assumptions of human supremacy.