Ecological Worldviews: Deep Ecology

Originally developed in the 1970s by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess, Deep Ecology offers a philosophical perspective that reorients how humans live within the natural world. This is a response to what some perceive as a shallow ecology, which tends to instrumentalize nature in terms of inert resource management and market values for humans. Deep ecologists, on the other hand, emphasize the intrinsic value of organic and elemental subjects beyond humans alone. Ecological principles outline the moral characteristics that shape human relationships to Earth and critically examine their material and technological developments.