Deep ecology

Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy that assigns intrinsic value to nonhuman life and calls for profound changes in human society.

Intrinsic value: The value something possesses in itself, rather than through its usefulness to something else. Deep ecology grounds moral regard for nonhuman life in value independent of human purposes.
Arne Næss: A Norwegian philosopher who introduced the term “deep ecology” in 1973. Næss formulated the distinction between deep and shallow environmentalism.
Self-realization: The development of a fuller sense of self through relationships with other beings and the wider world. Næss used this idea to connect personal flourishing with identification beyond the individual ego.
Social ecology: A political philosophy that traces ecological crises to hierarchy and domination within human societies. Murray Bookchin argued that deep ecology neglects the social roots of environmental problems.
Anthropocentrism: The view that human interests, experiences, or welfare are central to moral and political judgment. Deep ecology challenges the human-centered assumptions this view places at the center.
Shallow ecology: An environmental approach focused on reducing pollution and resource depletion while preserving affluent lifestyles. Næss contrasted it with deep ecology’s challenge to underlying values and social arrangements.
Simple in means, rich in ends: An ethical ideal favoring modest material consumption alongside rich relationships, experiences, and meaning. It captures how deep ecology links reduced material impact to a fuller form of life.
Ecofeminism: A family of approaches linking the domination of women with the exploitation of nature. Ecofeminist critiques question whether deep ecology sufficiently addresses gender and social power.
Ecocentrism: An ethical outlook that treats ecological wholes, such as ecosystems, as morally significant. It extends deep ecology’s concern from individual organisms to ecological communities.
Rachel Carson: An American marine biologist whose 1962 book Silent Spring exposed harms from pesticide use. Her critique of human control over nature helped shape the environmental context in which deep ecology emerged.

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