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OCR
1. INTRODUCTION natural world at the top of the list of priorities. According to this view, all living beings in the world are egually important, that is to say, the lives of animals are as important as those of humans. Biocentrism is a philosophical and ethical view, arguing that all living organisms have egual moral and intrinsic value, regardless of their role for humans or in the ecosystem. Biocentrism puts life at the centre and believes that all living things — humans, animals, plants, or even microorganisms — deserve respect and consideration. Biocentric ethics encourages us to take into account the well-being of all living beings in human decisions, such as environmental protection, resource use or technological developments. It is often associated with the ideals of deep ecology and sustainability, emphasizing the unity of ecosystems and the interdependence of living beings. Although it cannot be defined as a legal regulatory concept, the approach present in society and thus ecocentrism is also worth mentioning in this context, attaching special importance to the ecosystem as a whole, and considering both living and inanimate components to be important. Ecocentrism is thus another philosophical and ethical approach that places ecosystems as a whole, as well as their internal connections and processes, at the centre of moral and value considerations. Unlike anthropocentrism (anthropocentrism) or biocentrism (all living beings are equal), ecocentrism considers not only individual living beings, but the entire ecological system, including the interactions of living and non-living elements (e.g. rivers, mountains, soil), as valuable and worthy of protection. According to an ecocentric approach, the destruction of a river (e.g. pollution or dam construction) is problematic not only because of the fish or plants that live in it, but also because the balance of the entire ecosystem, including the surrounding forests, soil and human communities, is disrupted. Ecocentrism is often associated with the deep ecology movement, which was founded by the philosopher Arne Naess. Deep ecology emphasizes the intrinsic value of ecosystems and the need for a radical transformation of the human way of life. Aldo Leopold, in his Sand County Almanac, introduced the concept of “land ethics”, which reflects an ecocentric view and treats man as part of the Earth’s community.” A fourth perspective on the relationship between humanity and nature is emerging, though it has not been explicitly incorporated into legal frameworks. This perspective emphasizes the protection of creation’s integrity, a principle recognized and promoted in Christian social teachings.*° Other religions # Aldo Leopold, À Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There (New York: Oxford University Press, 1949). 16 Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum (encyclical, 15 June 1891), Acta Sanctae Sedis 23 (1891): 641-70; Pope Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno (encyclical, 15 May 1931), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 23, no. 6 (1931): 177-285; Pope John XXIII, Mater et Magistra (encyclical, 15 May 1961), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 53 (1961): 401-64; Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio (encyclical, 26 March 1967), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 59 (1967): 257-99; Pope Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens 24
