This document discusses the concept of anthropocentrism and arguments for and against overcoming it. It begins by defining instrumental and intrinsic value in nature. It then analyzes the views of Aristotle and Kant, who saw nature as having instrumental value. Mandatory non-anthropocentrism is presented as an alternative, requiring viewing nature as intrinsically valuable. However, overcoming anthropocentrism faces criticisms like it being inherent in human nature and perpetuated by systems like capitalism. While environmental philosophies offer alternatives, they have limitations. In the end, the document discusses whether anthropocentrism can or cannot be overcome.

2. WHAT IS ANTHROPOCENTRISM? WHAT IS PROBLEMATIC ABOUT
ANTHROPOCENTRISM?

3. • Before we determine if anthropocentrism can be overcome, we
must first unpack the Environmental Crisis
• We must also uncover the link between the Environmental
Crisis and value reasoning:
• What do we mean when we say
nature has instrumental value?
• What do we mean when we say
nature has intrinsic value?

4. Applying Value Reasoning to some
classical philosophies
• Aristotle: “Nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man”.
• Which entities in the statement above have instrumental value and
intrinsic value, and why?
• Immanuel Kant: beating a dog is bad because it might lead a person to become cruel towards
other humans.
• Which entities in the statement above have instrumental value and
intrinsic value, and why?

5. MANDATORY NON-
ANTHROPOCENTRISM
• Class feedback: what is Mandatory Non-Anthropocentrism?
• We can coexist with nature

6. It posits that we must view nature as having intrinsic value first, so that we will be
able to act morally towards it
Environmental ethicists believe that Mandatory Non-Anthropocentrism can be a
solution for the Environmental Crisis, and an ethical alternative to anthropocentrism.
Evaluative Thesis: the idea that the natural world and the life in it have intrinsic
value
Psycho Behavioral Thesis: people who view the environment as having intrinsic
value are more likely to act environmentally towards it.

7. Key positions that Non-Anthropocentrists
hold
For people to peacefully co-exist with nature/environment:
• They must lose judeo-Christian beliefs (anthropocentric ones)
• They must embrace deep ecology
• They must embrace ecofeminism
• They must become new animists

8. Thought
Experiment: The
Last Person (by
Richard Routley)
• imagine some catastrophe strikes and every
human on the planet dies except you. You
are the last human alive, but you are dying
as well. You are about to die. Now imagine
that right before you die you can push a
button that will kill the rest of life on the
planet with you. As you die, you can make it
such that all of life perishes along with you.
As you go, everything else goes too.
• If the Last Person is an anthropocentrist how would he approach this
dilemma?
• If the Last Person is a Non-Anthropocentrist how would he approach
this dilemma?

9. Can Anthropocentrism be overcome?
• Class feedback - according to the readings:
• What are some of the criticisms that arise whenever environmentalists sell the agenda of
overcoming anthropocentrism
• Is overcoming anthropocentrism possible?
• Is a mandatory non-anthropocentric agenda realistic in today’s world?
• Anthropocentrism cannot be overcome because instrumental value tends to triumph on the scale of value reasoning
• Anthropocentrism cannot be overcome because it is inherent in human nature.
• Spiecism: an argument can be made that species will value ‘their own’ at the expense of others

10. The following points/arguments are made
by Jason Dockstader, the author of our
seminal reading for this week
• We must accept that our world is inherently anthropocentric, its systems/structures are designed to value nature
instrumentally.
• So anthropocentrism is difficult to overcome because:
• 1). It is a culture that finds expression in world systems:
• a). Capitalism and how it commodifies nature: (Case study: the commodification of cattle and the environmental impact)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHIrbyd-5yo

11. • So, consumers of beef and producers of cattle are part of the problem:
• They create a demand and supply for beef
• This perpetuates the commodification of cattle
• Consumers of beef and producers of cattle bear some responsibility for
climate change
Can the beef eaters please stand up, can we overcome our appetite for beef?

12. • Anthropocentrism is difficult be overcome because:
• 2). The philosophical concepts that environmentalists use to fight it are insufficient due to their limitations:
• Deep Ecology: too spiritual/mystical, will be a hard sell in the secular world
• Leaving Judeo Christian Beliefs: will further engender religious differences
• Embracing Ecofeminism: will further entrench the gender divides
• New animism: too spiritual/mystical, will be a hard sell in the secular world
• 3). People are stubborn (naturally resist change)
• Class feedback: what are some of the arguments that you can think of that show that anthropocentrism is difficult to overcome

13. But perhaps Dockstader is too
pessimistic:
Class feedback: what arguments can be used to show that anthropocentrism
can be overcome?
Self Realisation, realising the consequences of excess.

14. • Case study: Sea Shepherd
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRLqHA6KLQ

15. THE END