환경윤리에 대한 대안적 접근 - 생명중심주의에서 생명주권주의에로

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to seek solution of our ecological environmental crisis by shifting from biocentrism to biocracy. At first, we must forsake anthropocentrism. Anthropocentric perspective regards only human needs and interests as valuable. But biocentric perspective identifies oneself as a member of the Earth's Community of Life. Schweitzer describes his theory of reverence for life - the idea that all of life is a sacred and that we must live accordingly, treating each living being as an inherently valuable “will to live”. It is good to maintain and cherish life, but it is evil to destroy and to check life. He stressed that reverence for life is the supreme motive to recover our environmental destruction. Taylor develops Schweitzer's life-centered system of environmental ethics. He argues that each living individual has a "teleological center of life," which pursues its own good in its own way, and possesses equal inherent worth. He called it the attitude of respect for nature. The attitude of respect for nature is core of the biocentric outlook. According to this perspective, human beings are no more intrinsically valuable than any other living thing but should see themselves as equal members of Earth's community. Taylor advocates a biocentric egalitarianism. As the result, human's role and responsibility was reduced. Because of this point, we need to adapt biocracy. It is traditionally said that human was created in God's image and only human possessed immortal soul. But biocracy insists on the proper relations between creator and human. And human should be responsible being in relation with other living beings. To adapt this perspective, we need a reinterpretation about God's creation and God's image and human's stewardship. Through this revision, we can discover theocentric outlook of life and nature. I think it is the human's responsibility for all living things.