Biocentric individualism and biodiversity conservation: An argument from parsimony

Abstract

This article argues that holistic ecocentrism unnecessarily introduces elements to explain why we ought to halt biodiversity loss. I suggest that atomistic accounts can justify the same conclusion by utilising fewer elements. Hence, why we ought to preserve biodiversity can be made reasonable without adding elements such as intrinsic values of ecosystems or moral obligations to conserve collectives of organisms. Between two equally good explanations of the same phenomenon, the explanation utilising fewer elements, which speaks in favour of atomistic accounts, will be the better one.

Keywords

Biodiversity; biocentrism; ecocentrism; Ockham's razor

Published in

Environmental Values
2021, Volume: 30, number: 1, pages: 93-110

SLU Authors

• Baard, Patrik

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre


Sustainable Development Goals

SDG15 Life on land


UKÄ Subject classification

Ethics


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3197/096327120X15752810324048

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/106532