Moral respect applies wherever autonomous teleology exists

Evidence

There will be such a making of difference wherever there is an intentional system, whether it is self-valuing or not, the most obvious case being that of teleology or directionality. Wherever we can discern an autonomous intentional system or teleology the concepts of respect and moral consideration have a potential for application. — Val Plumwood, Feminism and the Mastery of Nature, 774

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the ‘making of difference’ criterion for extending moral consideration: it tracks intentional systems/teleology, not just the conscious.
• XREF: Extends the argument against extending ethics ‘upward’ into rights-talk (ch28 of this book) and engages the Aristotelian telos notion bridging to Merchant’s organismic worldview. — connects to: Biocentrism denies intrinsic value to nonliving landscapes — Val Plumwood, Feminism and the Mastery of Nature, 776; Self-maintenance criteria for moral worth fail to set defensible boundaries — Val Plumwood, Feminism and the Mastery of Nature, 775