Animal Rights
People have joined together in hopes of gaining respect for the rights of animals since the 1800s. Anthropocentrism
The theory of
anthropocentrism says that the world exists for humanity. Believers in this philosophy would say that humans can rightfully try to benefit as much as possible from the environment. Biocentrism
While anthropocentrism argues in favor of a world view centering solely around humans and only recognizes value in human beings, biocentrism feels that everything in nature has value. Bioregionalism
Bioregionalism is a philosophy that promotes unity between human beings and the environment. Christianity's Impact on the Environment
Some people have said that Christianity is one of the primary causes of the degradation of the environment. Deep Ecology
Supports of deep ecology view the
environment as a complex system of many forms of life, none of which can dominate another. Ecofeminism
In recent decades, many people active in the environmentalist and feminist movements have joined forces in support of what they see as a common cause. Ecojustice
Ecojustice applies the concept of justice to the environment. Many features of ecojustice are related to
the philosophies of other environmental groups. Environmentalism
The philosophy of environmentalism states that the well being of the environment should be a major concern to humanity. Holism
The philosophy of holism was created by Jan Smuts. The holists think that nature consists of a variety of wholes that can be broken down into smaller parts. Intrinsic Value
Intrinsic value means that although living things may have no monetary value to human beings, they have significant worth in other ways. Social Ecology
Social ecology is defined differently by different groups. Many see it as a branch of sociology, though they hardly confine it completely to that area. The Greater Value Assumption
The Greater Value Assumption asks the question of whether humans are superior, one for one, to other animals. The Sole Value Assumption
The Sole Value Assumption asks if humans are the only species whose interests matter. Utilitarianism
The basic idea of
utilitarianism to generate the greatest possible amount of happiness among the greatest number. | 
