Review article
https://doi.org/10.31337/oz.79.3.5
The Historical Development of an Ethical Perspective of Environmental Thought
Mirela Holy
orcid.org/0000-0003-1294-1978
; VERN’ University, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Various ethical perspectives of environmental thought have influenced the ideology of contemporary environmental protection movements to a significant degree and, consequently also, national, European and global politics. The politics of international organizations and most world countries today have a sustainable perspective for it has been proven that climate change and environmental degradation have led to the so–called sixth great extinction in which there is a high possibility that the human species will become extinct. This is evident from various international conventions and documents, particularly the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate goals, and the European Green Deal. Environmental movements have played a key role in informing, raising awareness, and persuading the public and political entities of the necessity for a more environmentally and socially sustainable policy. Moreover, world–wide acceptance of the concept of sustainable development as a way out of the current crisis is primarily a result of their work. However, environmental movements are not homogeneous: there are significant differences among them, and proposals for solving ecological problems differ as well. Today’s environmental movements can be divided into two categories, namely, those with an anthropocentric and those with a biocentric perspective. This paper provides a cross–section of the historical development of the ethical perspective of environmental thought with a particular emphasis on anthropocentric and biocentric perspectives.
Keywords
green policy; environmentalism; environmental degradation; climate change; transition
Hrčak ID:
318398
URI
Publication date:
2.7.2024.
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