Conservative environmentalism treats endangered species laws as free-market intrusions
Evidence
These diverse conceptions of nature differ markedly in the importance they place on preserving biodiversity. In the latter environmental ethic, species diversity is essential for sustaining the ecological supports of life. Because of the intricate interdependence of the earth’s ecosystems, humans need all other species. The conservative environmental ethic favors the more anthro-pocentric view that humans are an exceptional species on this planet and that many of the so-called lowly species are of little or no consequence in the larger scheme of things. They view laws protecting endangered species as a cover for governmental intrusion in the free-market system. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2520
These diverse conceptions of nature differ markedly in the importance they place on preserving biodiversity. In the latter environmental ethic, species diversity is essential for sustaining the ecological supports of life. Because of the intricate interdependence of the earth’s ecosystems, humans need all other species. The conservative environmental ethic favors the more anthro-pocentric view that humans are an exceptional species on this planet and that many of the so-called lowly species are of little or no consequence in the larger scheme of things. They view laws protecting endangered species as a cover for governmental intrusion in the free-market system. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2520
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to discussion of free-market ideology versus regulation elsewhere in the book; also to broader work on environmental ethics and the anthropocentrism vs ecocentrism divide. — connects to: Federalist Society federalism opposes the deliberately national structure of pollution statutes — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 538
- DEFINE: Crisply names the anthropocentric moral disengagement move: minimizing the moral weight of non-humans by framing them as ‘lowly’ and regulation as liberty infringement.
- corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 2520