The Inhuman Condition: Rethinking Anthropocentrism

Abstract

For almost half a decade, the idea that anthropocentrism is driving the ecological crisis has gained credence among academics and nature advocates, but this assumption must be reconsidered. Not only is it wrong to say that humanity’s care for itself causes environmental destruction, but it is also wrong to say that such a care is part of a general human ethos. Instead of embracing anthropocentrism as commonly conceived, this article rethinks this muddy notion by emphasizing that a genuine care for ourselves, one another, and our species implies a care for the ecological world of which we are a part.