ENVS203: Environmental Ethics, Justice, and World Views

2.2: Utilitarian Conservation and Biocentric Preservation

• 2.2.1: Overview of Utilitarian Conservation

  • Wikipedia: "Utilitarian-Based Land Ethic" URL

    Read this background content before you compare and contrast utilitarian versus biocentric views.
    

  • Ethnobiology and Conservation (Vol. 1): Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves's "Relationships Between Fauna and People and the Role of Ethnozoology in Animal Conservation" File

    Read this article, which discusses the role of plants and animals in relation to their use by humans, both historically and into the present day. The text goes on to suggest methods for conserving these resources. Identify the key points about how our treatment of plants and animals may have changed over time, and whether you agree or disagree with these ethically.

• 2.2.2: Overview of Biocentric Preservation

  • Virginia Tech: "Society for Philosophy and Technology (Vol. 1): César Cuello Nieto and Paul T. Durbin's 'Sustainable Development and Philosophies of Technology'" Page

    This article discusses the progress of the sustainable development movement, and how it can be viewed in different ways. Biocentric preservation has its core in sustainability and forms a vital part in how we view a sustainable future. As you read the article, think about how biocentric preservation could be linked to each of the five different interpretations of sustainability presented in the text.