“The Origin, Differentiation and Role of Rights”
Thomas Berry
2001
In this statement, Thomas Berry argues that humans must shift from viewing the Earth as property to recognizing it as a rights-bearing community. He asserts that legal systems should acknowledge the intrinsic rights of nature to exist, thrive, and evolve. This shift in values is necessary in order to create a foundation for ecological law rooted in mutual respect and planetary well-being. This is a 2001 version of Thomas Berry’s Ten Principles of Earth Jurisprudence. For the published version please see here.