Which environmental ethics perspective views ecosystems as valuable in their own right?

• A. Anthropocentrism
• B. Ecocentrism
• C. Instrumentalism
• D. Anthropomorphism

Answer: (B)

Ecocentrism holds that the natural world has value beyond its usefulness to humans. It treats ecosystems, species, and the web of ecological relationships as having intrinsic worth and moral standing, not just as resources to be exploited. This holistic view emphasizes the integrity and functioning of entire systems—like forests, rivers, and wetlands—because their health matters in and of itself, not only for what humans can gain from them.

This contrasts with anthropocentrism, which centers human interests and welfare, and instrumentalism, which values nature only for the benefits it provides to people. Anthropomorphism is not a stance about the value of ecosystems themselves but about attributing human traits to nonhuman beings, which isn’t the same as asserting intrinsic ecological value.

So, ecocentrism is the perspective that ecosystems have worth in their own right, guiding actions to protect ecological balance and biodiversity even when that doesn’t maximize direct human benefits.