Can we overcome the anthropocentrism bias in sustainability discourse?

Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Medknow Publications
Abstract
Based on a turn to the rational human subject in Descartes, Kant and Feuerbach, this paper critically examines four efforts at shaping sustainability discourse: the definition of sustainability in Our common future; stewardship Christian theology; forms of partisan justice; and GDP as measure of economic growth. These efforts made certain advances, but because they share the underlying anthropocentric bias of Western philosophy, they fail to step out of the current sustainability paradigm. The paper closes with two suggestions of how to de-centre the human subject and to build a network-view of all species.
Description
CITATION: Naude, P. 2018. Can we overcome the anthropocentrism bias in sustainability discourse?. African Journal of Business Ethics, 11(2):56-67, doi:10.15249/11-2-189.
The original publication is available at http://ajobe.journals.ac.za
Keywords
Sustainable development -- Environmental aspects, Sustainability, Anthropocentrism
Citation
Naude, P. 2018. Can we overcome the anthropocentrism bias in sustainability discourse?. African Journal of Business Ethics, 11(2):56-67, doi:10.15249/11-2-189