Ecocentric and anthropocentric worldviews: are they incompatible?

Abstract

The dialectic between ecocentrism and anthropocentrism has become the central discussion around the growing ecological crisis we live and the purpose of environmental education. This study seeks to clarify the compatibility between these two worldviews and reflect on the extent to which they are in opposing camps on the concern about the ecological crisis. The New Ecological Paradigm Scale was applied to two independent samples of Portuguese students (9th grade and higher education students’) with which subscales for ecocentrism and anthropocentrism worldviews were selected through factor analysis. Our results show that more than 40% of those that agree with ecocentrism does not rejects anthropocentrism, being mostly neutral to that worldview and some even agreeing with it. In face of this, we purpose further studies on the different anthropocentric facets to selected those that may be included in environmental education effort to help, together with ecocentrism, to fight back ecological crisis.

Keywords

• New Ecological Paradigm
• Environmental attitude
• Ecocentrism
• Anthropocentrism
• Environmental education.

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