Interdisciplinary Re-examination of Conceptual Framework of Environmental Ethics

Abstract

Every principal approach to environmental ethics-anthropocentrism, biocentrism, or ecocentrism-depends on the man-nature dichotomy. But, all the animals, plants and natural objects are not separated from human beings and their activities. And recent studies of related disciplines, ecological anthropology, environmental folklore, and environmental sociology bring the fruitful suggestions about this aspect. Consequently, in this article I try to re-examine the conceptual framework of mainstream environmental ethics from the interdisciplinary standpoint, and to plot the framework of new type environmental ethics based on the relationship between man and nature. To analyze wholeness of relationship between man and nature, two elements of relationship, social-economic links and cultural-spiritual links, are introduced. And it is demonstrated that every human activity which varies from “susbsistence” to “play” has the two elements, inseparably. Commons and property is also essential problem of environmental ethics. This problem is examined from the standpoint of new conceptual framework of environmental ethics.