Respecting Nature: A Study to Environmental Ethics

Abstract

This work reviewed different approaches to environmental ethics. I also show that these approaches to nature can be combined in order to study the value of nature in its three aspects. In this way, these three approaches turn out to be complementary. All these theories primarily agree on the point that nature has value. The value of nature makes it worthy of moral consideration. In this connection, we have especially elaborated on the idea of complementarity by discussing the relationship between environmental ethics and environmental law. In this context, a claim is made since all environmental policies are based on the instrumental value of nature, and most of them are not fully effective in preserving nature. We may thus hold that if the policies are based on deontological values, we can preserve nature in a better way. Hence, "respect" is the concept with which all three theories agree. If the attitude of respect can be cultivated in people, then the result will definitely be positive and constructive in our approach to nature

Keywords

• Environmental Ethics
• anthropocentricism
• non-anthropocentricism
• respect for nature

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