Plumwood: The Harmonic And Instrumental Value Of Environmentalism

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What the provided quote means is that the primary quest in environmental ethics is to find a logical reason for preserving the environment for something other than its instrumental value. There are two types of values; intrinsic and instrumental. Modifying a statement by Taylor, something of intrinsic value can be defined as an entity (or thing) whose good is worthy of being promoted or preserved as an end in itself, and for the sake of the entity (or thing) whose good it is (p. 105). This contrasts with something of instrumental value, which could be defined as being worthy of being promoted or preserved only for its role as a tool in promoting the good of another entity. When Sober says that the problem is a search for rationale, what he is saying is that when there is no discernable instrumental value of something, there is difficulty in finding a logical ground to explain why we feel that should invest in preserving it. …show more content…

(i) Plumwood tries to provide a rational for environmentalism by saying that nature, in her experience with the crocodile, provides “a humbling and cautionary tale about our relationship with the earth, about the need to acknowledge our own animality and ecological vulnerability” (Plumwood, p. 271). Maintaining an ecosystem’s integrity is important because it entails the preservation and respect of animals that may prey upon us (acknowledging our ecological vulnerability), which acts as a test for the strength of our identity of being just another animal on the earth (acknowledging our animality). She says that maintaining the environment is important because it humbles and reminds us of our place in the world—we are not above the rest of the animals, and we must be conscientiousness of the inaccuracy of our own internal narrative, which provides this illusion (Plumwood, p.

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