Refusing Help and Inflicting Harm. A Critique of the Environmentalist View
Due to a variety of natural causes, suffering predominates over well-being in the lives of wild animals. From an antispeciesist standpoint that considers the interests of all sentient individuals, we should intervene in nature to benefit these animals, provided that the expectable result is net posi...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
LED Edizioni Universitarie
2015-11-01
|
| Series: | Relations |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ledonline.it/index.php/Relations/article/view/882 |
| _version_ | 1811276710364053504 |
|---|---|
| author | Eze Paez |
| author_facet | Eze Paez |
| author_sort | Eze Paez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Due to a variety of natural causes, suffering predominates over well-being in the lives of wild animals. From an antispeciesist standpoint that considers the interests of all sentient individuals, we should intervene in nature to benefit these animals, provided that the expectable result is net positive. However, according to the environmentalist view the aim of benefiting wild animals cannot justify intervening in nature. In addition, harmful human interventions can sometimes be justified. This view assumes that (i) certain entities such as ecosystems or species have intrinsic value, and that (ii) at least sometimes these values are more important than nonhuman well-being. In this article I review the arguments in support of this view advanced by three prominent environmentalists (Albert Schweitzer, Paul W. Taylor and J. Baird Callicott) and show how none of them succeed at grounding these assumptions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:02:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8adc3565ce4d4bd68a42bd6d458251e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2283-3196 2280-9643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:02:32Z |
| publishDate | 2015-11-01 |
| publisher | LED Edizioni Universitarie |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Relations |
| spelling | doaj.art-8adc3565ce4d4bd68a42bd6d458251e82022-12-22T03:11:19ZengLED Edizioni UniversitarieRelations2283-31962280-96432015-11-013216517810.7358/rela-2015-002-paez701Refusing Help and Inflicting Harm. A Critique of the Environmentalist ViewEze PaezDue to a variety of natural causes, suffering predominates over well-being in the lives of wild animals. From an antispeciesist standpoint that considers the interests of all sentient individuals, we should intervene in nature to benefit these animals, provided that the expectable result is net positive. However, according to the environmentalist view the aim of benefiting wild animals cannot justify intervening in nature. In addition, harmful human interventions can sometimes be justified. This view assumes that (i) certain entities such as ecosystems or species have intrinsic value, and that (ii) at least sometimes these values are more important than nonhuman well-being. In this article I review the arguments in support of this view advanced by three prominent environmentalists (Albert Schweitzer, Paul W. Taylor and J. Baird Callicott) and show how none of them succeed at grounding these assumptions.http://www.ledonline.it/index.php/Relations/article/view/882animal ethicsantispeciesismenvironmentalismbiocentrismecocentrismnonhuman animalsintrinsic valueintervention in naturewild animalsnatural harms |
| spellingShingle | Eze Paez Refusing Help and Inflicting Harm. A Critique of the Environmentalist View Relations animal ethics antispeciesism environmentalism biocentrism ecocentrism nonhuman animals intrinsic value intervention in nature wild animals natural harms |
| title | Refusing Help and Inflicting Harm. A Critique of the Environmentalist View |
| title_full | Refusing Help and Inflicting Harm. A Critique of the Environmentalist View |
| title_fullStr | Refusing Help and Inflicting Harm. A Critique of the Environmentalist View |
| title_full_unstemmed | Refusing Help and Inflicting Harm. A Critique of the Environmentalist View |
| title_short | Refusing Help and Inflicting Harm. A Critique of the Environmentalist View |
| title_sort | refusing help and inflicting harm a critique of the environmentalist view |
| topic | animal ethics antispeciesism environmentalism biocentrism ecocentrism nonhuman animals intrinsic value intervention in nature wild animals natural harms |
| url | http://www.ledonline.it/index.php/Relations/article/view/882 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ezepaez refusinghelpandinflictingharmacritiqueoftheenvironmentalistview |