Anthropocentrism, Biocentrism, Stewardship and Co-Creation

Robin Attfield

doi:10.1017/9781108860666.006

5 - Anthropocentrism, Biocentrism, Stewardship and Co-Creation

from Part I - Concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 July 2022

Robin Attfield

Edited by

Alexander J. B. Hampton and

Douglas Hedley

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Alexander J. B. Hampton: Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Douglas Hedley: Affiliation:
University of Cambridge

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Summary

Distinguishing between kinds of anthropocentrism and of biocentrism helps to disclose that White’s critique of theistic religions as anthropocentric and despotic miscarries, as does the different critique on the part of Passmore of ‘Greco-Christian arrogance’. The longstanding stewardship tradition of Christianity, Judaism and Islam facilitates an eco-friendly approach to the environment, particularly in its biocentric versions, and can be defended against criticisms from Palmer and Lovelock. Southgate, who misunderstands biocentrism as synonymous with Deep Ecology, favours both co-creation and stewardship; these approaches can be combined with each other and with Bauckham’s theme of the community of God’s creatures. Northcott does well to trace back modern ecological problems to seventeenth-century anti-communal and possessive individualism and the attitudes and practices emerging therefrom, but his communitarian and nature-friendly approach, while rightly understanding humanity as ‘dependent rational animals’ (MacIntyre), needs to become more cosmopolitan if these global problems are to be solved.

Keywords

Anthropocentrism biocentrism stewardship created co-creators Lynn White’s Thesis Possessive individualism managerialism Islam dependent rational animals cosmopolitanism

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Companion to Christianity and the Environment , pp. 63 - 79

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108860666.006 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2022

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References

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