Tavishi Pandey
Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, U.P.
E-mail: tavishipandey2000@gmail.com
Issue: Volume 2 No. 2 (June 2026) Anubodhan
Received: 19 June 2026 / Accepted: 27 June 2026 / Published: 30 June 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n2.2026.084
Abstract
This paper traces the evolution of environmental ethics from human-focused frameworks toward broader, relationship-oriented perspectives. Earlier theories such as sentiocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism sought to expand moral consideration beyond humans to include animals, all living beings, and even entire ecosystems. Thinkers like Kenneth Goodpaster and Paul Taylor promoted a life-centered ethical view, while Aldo Leopold and J. Baird Callicott highlighted the significance of ecological systems and the worth of biotic communities. However, despite their importance, these perspectives often face difficulties in addressing real-world value conflicts and in providing a consistent basis for intrinsic value, as critics such as Harley Cahen and Alan Carter have pointed out.
In response to these challenges, the paper explores relational environmental ethics, which moves away from abstract value theories and instead emphasizes the nature of relationships between humans and the natural environment. Drawing on the philosophy of Arne Naess, as well as insights from Confucian and Daoist traditions, particularly Confucius and Zhuangzi—and contemporary scholars like Nel Noddings and Allan Holland- it advocates for an ethical approach grounded in care, interdependence, and meaningful interaction. Ultimately, the paper argues that this relational framework offers a more adaptable and holistic way to understand and address the complex environmental issues of today.
Keywords: Environmental Ethics, Relational Environmental Ethics, Biocentrism, Ecocentrism, Care Ethics; Human–Nature Relationships, Ecological Interdependence, Deep Ecology, Confucian Environmental Ethics, Daoist Environmental Ethics.
How to cite: Pandey, T. (2026). Beyond Anthropocentrism: From Moral Expansion to Relational Environmental Ethics. Anubodhan, 2(2), 232–244. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n2.2026.084