Obstacles on the Path to Organismic Ethics: Some Second Thoughts
Author(s)
Ferre, Frederick
Abstract
Offering a contrasting view to traditional reductionist philosophy, this article discusses the biological implications of holism: organicism, that the organization of systems is more important than their individual parts. The author suggests the healthy impact such a philosophy would have on environmentalism. Since organic and holistic theories of environmental ethics face the problem of individual value, Ferre attempts to sketch a “personalistic organicism”, providing a solution. But as he admits, this re-introduces the problem of species chauvinism or anthropocentrism.
