Position
Biocentric Moral Standing
Every living organism has direct moral standing because it has a good of its own that can be promoted or harmed, whether or not it is sentient.
Classification
- Position level
- specific
- Domains
- Ethics , Philosophy of Nature
Overview
Biocentrism includes plants and microorganisms as objects of direct moral concern. Its basic unit is the individual living being, so it does not by itself grant standing to species or ecosystems as collective wholes.
Position on
References
- Paul W. Taylor, Respect for Nature: A Theory of Environmental Ethics (1986), ch. 3
- Kenneth E. Goodpaster, 'On Being Morally Considerable', Journal of Philosophy 75 (1978), pp. 308–325