Motives for Man's Treating the Living World

Abstract

In this text, the author is analysing the results of the empirical research about the motives that make people care and treat
the living world. The research was conducted on a corresponding sample (N = 492; 2005) at five Faculties of the University
of Zagreb. In the analysis there were used the univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistics techniques (componential analysis under the G‐ K criterion) as well as the variance analysis. The motives for the manʹs care and treating the living world are concretized via four relations: ethics (duty), utilitariansim (utility), emotivity (emotion) and situationality (circumstance). When it comes to the motives of caring for the living world, 87.2% of the subjects prefer ethical duty, 43.7% prefer emotivity, 35 % like situationality most while 8.9% prefer utilitarianism.
A correlational analysis between the motives of the manʹs treating the flora and fauna on one hand and the factors set on the basis of «responsibility for living», «biocentrism», «socio‐ecological orientations» and «belief» on the other hand, proved the following: the ethical attitude towards the flora and fauna was supported by the subjects who accept «taking responsibility for all kinds of life» and «respect for nature»; while people who accept «taking responsibility for human life only» and «anthropocentrism» are more likely to adopt the utilitarian and situational point of view (i.e. utility). Among observed people, those who accept «respecting life», «eco‐centrism» and alternative religions are more likely to adopt emotivity
as their motive for treating the flora and fauna.