Should we save, what serves only human ends? a review on environmental ethics

Abstract

Ethical dilemma arise in pursing conservation of environment at different levels. In this paper, we review various ethical philosophies and identify the determinants of responsibility. Boundary of pain, responsibility arising out of greater human purpose, eco centrism or deep ecological ethics, and socio-psychological roots of ethical consciousness are some of the guiding forces generating this responsibility. The paper concludes by identifying the process of internal commands replacing the external demands as a dominant institutional process for resolving ethical dilemma. The emergence of global responsibility, invariably generates pressure for evolving ethical norms with universal application. A discourse on ecological ethics we argue, must become much more pervasive if environmental conservation has to move beyond the concern of urban, intellectual advocates and become a grassroots movement.