The Trouble with Anthropocentric Hubris, with Examples from Conservation

Abstract

Anthropocentrism in Western (modern industrial) society is dominant, goes back hundreds of years, and can rightly be called ‘hubris’. It removes almost all moral standing from the nonhuman world, seeing it purely as a resource. Here, we discuss the troubling components of anthropocentrism: worldview and ethics; dualisms, valuation and values; a psychology of fear and denial; and the idea of philosophical ‘ownership’. We also question whether it is a truly practical (or ethical) approach. We then discuss three troubling examples of anthropocentrism in conservation: ‘new’ conservation; ecosystem services; and the IPBES values assessment. We conclude that anthropocentrism is fuelling the environmental crisis and accelerating extinction, and urge academia to speak out instead for ecocentrism.

Questioning the Assumptions, Sustainability and Ethics of Endless Economic Growth

“…It has only been possible for our societies to maintain a belief in the desirability of pursuing endless growth because of the dominant anthropocentric worldview of modernism (Curry 2011;Rolston 2012;Washington 2019;Washington et al 2021), which sees the world as no more than a 'resource' for human use (Crist 2012(Crist , 2019. To put this another way, the obsession with endless growth has been the offspring of the anthropocentric 'human chauvinism' and 'human supremacy' that has dominated Western society for at least the last 200 years (Crist 2012;Washington et al 2017;Kopnina et al 2018aKopnina et al , 2018b.…”

“…Society thus needs to return to ecocentrism and adopt an Earth ethics (Curry 2011;Rolston 2012). Changing to a worldview of ecocentrism that 'recognizes the Earth as the ultimate source of value, meaning and enablement for all beings, including-but not only-human beings' (TEC n.d.) is thus a key step on the path to a meaningful and ecologically sustainable future (Curry 2011;Rolston 2012;Washington et al 2017Washington et al , 2021.…”

“…Can humanity do this? We have a lot of denial to break through, and a need to rapidly change our worldview and ethics (Washington et al 2021). Will this happen-or will we remain a slave to an endless growth mantra?…”

“…However, given the prevailing view in Western society that 'all growth is good', I will here be something of a heretic-as I will question the assumptions, ethics and sustainability of the premise that economic growth can (and must) increase forever. I am an environmental scientist who has written extensively on: the environmental crisis (e.g., Washington 2013Washington , 2015Washington , 2020a; as well as its denial in society (Washington and Cook 2011;Washington 2018); ecological economics and the steady-state economy (Washington 2014(Washington , 2017(Washington , 2020bWashington and Twomey 2016); ecological ethics (Washington 2019Washington et al 2017Washington et al , 2021; and the need for ecological ethics in a new ecological economics (Washington and Maloney 2020). My questioning of the premise that 'sustainable economic growth' is automatically good is thus based on environmental science, ecological economics and ecological ethics.…”

“…If justice is raised at all in regard to the GND, it is just social justice, with essentially no mention of ecological justice ) as part of the supposedly 'new' deal? This is very much part of the deeply anthropocentric worldview of Western modernism, and as such is in no way 'new' (Curry 2011;Washington et al 2021).…”