Advancing towards Cenozoic Community Ethics: A Holistic Framework for Surpassing Anthropocentrism
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper introduces the groundbreaking concept of Cenozoic community ethics or Cenozoic ecocentrism, which signifies a shift away from the anthropocentric perspective that has largely fueled environmental degradation. It advocates for a new ethical framework beyond anthropocentrism, one that integrates the principles of sentiocentrism (valuing sentient beings), biocentrism (valuing all living things), and ecocentrism (valuing ecosystems as wholes), thereby acknowledging the intrinsic value of everything from individual organisms to entire ecosystems. This forwardthinking approach leverages insights from geology and evolution to highlight the interconnectedness and essential worth of all life forms during the Cenozoic era. Instead of seeking to resolve the conflict between individual rights and the health of ecosystems, this document proposes a flexible, situation-aware balancing of these diverse ethical views. It envisions humans as considerate partners within a thriving, multi-species community, prompting us to rethink our moral obligations to the vast non-human world. The aim is to shed light on the intricate moral relationships we share with the broader living world, calling for a deeper empathy and fairer coexistence among all species.
Author: Andrea Natan Feltrin
Institution: University of North Texas
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4409299373