Does Environmental Ethics Rest on a Mistake? (The Intrinsic Value of Nature)
Author(s)
Regan, Tom
Abstract
It is a mistake to attempt to ground environmental ethics on the theory of the intrinsic value of nature. Whether intrinsic value is attributed to mental states, states of affairs, or ends-in-themselves, the values involved are incommensurate and provide no basis for valuing wild organisms or species over domestic ones. Moreover, a hierarchical concept of intrinsic value is indistinguishable from the concept of instrumental value.
