Anthropocentrism
Mirror of English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthropocentrism (Greek άνθρωπος, anthropos, "human", κέντρον, kentron, "center"), or the 'human-centered' principle, refers to the idea that humanity must always remain the central concern for humans. According to anthropocentrism, all things in the universe are to be judged in their relationship to man. Anthropos (a term that, like “human”, refers to both men and women) must thus be considered, looked after and cared for, above all other real or imaginary beings.
Contents |
Anthropocentrism in environmentalism
Anthropocentrism is essentially the belief that the world around a person is only important as far as it benefits or hurts that person. Applied to environmental issues, anthropocentrism is basically the position that environmental disasters, other life forms, and ecosystems (among other things) are only important as much as they affect people.
Anthropocentrism in Christianity
Some evangelical Christians have also been critical, viewing a human-centered worldview, rather than a Christ-centered or God-centered worldview, as a core societal problem. According to this viewpoint, a fallen humanity placing its own desires ahead of the teachings of Christ leads to rampant selfishness and behavior viewed as sinful.
Biocentrism
Biocentrism (the belief that all life, or even the whole universe living or otherwise taken as a whole, is equally valid and humanity is not the center of existence) has been proposed as an antonym of anthropocentrism.
