Anthropocentrism is the belief that human beings are the central or most important entity in the universe, and it can be used interchangeably with humanocentrism, human supremacy, or human exceptionalism
. This philosophical viewpoint argues that humans are separate from and superior to nature, and that human life, plants, and mineral resources are resources that may justifiably be exploited for the benefit of humankind
. Anthropocentrism is deeply embedded in many modern human cultures and conscious acts, and it is a major concept in the field of environmental ethics and environmental philosophy
. Some key aspects of anthropocentrism include:
- Human-centered perspective : Anthropocentrism interprets or regards the world in terms of human values and experiences
- Superiority to nature : In an anthropocentric view, humans are seen as superior to nature, and the natural world has value only as it benefits humankind
- Cornucopian anthropocentrism : A philosophical viewpoint that supports the idea that humans can exploit resources for their benefit without causing harm to the environment
- Biocentrism : A related concept that regards humans as one species among many in a given ecosystem
- Feminist perspective : Some feminist philosophers argue that the anthropocentric worldview is in fact a male, or patriarchal, point of view, and that viewing nature as inferior to humanity is analogous to viewing other people (women, colonial subjects, nonwhite populations) as inferior to white Western men
Anthropocentrism has been criticized for its environmental implications, as it often leads to the exploitation of resources and the degradation of the natural world
. The underlying assumption that humans are superior to nature and that the natural world exists solely for human benefit has been criticized as a central problematic concept in environmental philosophy
