An Essay on "The Ethics of Respect for Nature".

Essay by phetamineCollege, Undergraduate December 2005

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Paul Taylor envisioned the possibility of a life centered system through the workings of two concepts. The first concept being the good, or well-being, of a living thing. This concept entails doing what is necessary for the welfare of nature. It does not necessarily mean that you are doing what makes nature "feel" good but more of that you are doing what is best for it, ensuring it will still be around tomorrow. An example of this would be to capture several endangered animals in order to breed them in a controlled environment. While the animals that are captured may be miserable while being held in captivity, it will ensure the species fate and also aide in keeping control and stability in Mother Nature for many years to come. Something else that could be done is to put aside plots of land as protected or restricted areas, much like today's national parks, which would protect the trees and other wildlife that are within its boundaries.

The second concept is the idea of an entity possessing inherent worth. This simply means that all living things are recognized as a part of the world's community and therefore respecting it no matter how great or small they, or their part in nature, are thought to be. An example of this would be to realize that a bird, no matter how small or large, aides in keeping the bug or rodent population under control, preventing massive swarms or the spread of a potentially deadly disease. With this we would realize all animals or aspects of nature are looked at as an important and necessary part of the over all balance required to maintain the world we have come to know today.

The idea of a biosphere is quite possibly the most ideal environment to...