The effects of climate change are becoming visible throughout the world and with it the call for more environmental policies inspired by ecocentrism, a philosophy that attributes intrinsic moral...Show moreThe effects of climate change are becoming visible throughout the world and with it the call for more environmental policies inspired by ecocentrism, a philosophy that attributes intrinsic moral value to nature. One such policy is the Rights of Nature (RoN), which has already been implemented in several countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and New Zealand. The popularity of the RoN movement is growing but critical evaluations of the policy and implementation are scarce. This thesis aims to close that gap by evaluating the RoN from an ecofeminist perspective. I argue that the RoN’s use of gendered language perpetuates stereotypes of both women and nature and that the way the RoN is implemented now is just a continuation of the liberal Western system instead of the radical change it aims to be. I then apply the three ecofeminist philosophical principles of Phillips (2020) to the RoN and argue that though they help make the RoN more inclusive, they cannot induce radical change as long as they are implemented into a system that is built on the exploitation of both nature and women. Ecofeminism urges us to dismantle this system and base our policies on principles like empathy, care, and love.Show less
With the increasing and unprecedented threat of climate change, the ethical frameworks guiding climate policies and shaping the way humans relate to nature need urgent review. The publishing of...Show moreWith the increasing and unprecedented threat of climate change, the ethical frameworks guiding climate policies and shaping the way humans relate to nature need urgent review. The publishing of Bryan Norton’s (1991) ‘Convergence Thesis’, which purports the idea that both anthropocentric and non-anthropocentric approaches converge at the level of practical policy proposals, made some issues in environmental ethics appear resolved and gave much more force to weak anthropocentrism. Consequently, weak anthropocentrism largely became the standard by which environmental policies were measured and justified. However, this thesis finds that the ‘Convergence Hypothesis’ and it’s weak anthropocentrist foundations are flawed (1) at a practical level, as there is divergence; (2) at the ethical level, as the weak anthropocentric position promoted by the Convergence Hypothesis would support bad policies, and (3) at the conceptual level, as weak anthropocentric attempts to articulate why undesirable policies shouldn’t be supported would mean the position collapses into non-anthropocentrism. Thus, concluding that non-anthropocentric, or more specifically ecocentric, valuations of nature will best enable policies that meet today’s demands of climate change.Show less
Located in the upper Napo basin in the western Amazonian region of Ecuador, the Yasuní National Park is widely considered to be one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. In June 2007,...Show moreLocated in the upper Napo basin in the western Amazonian region of Ecuador, the Yasuní National Park is widely considered to be one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. In June 2007, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa Delgado introduced the proposal known as the Yasuní-ITT initiative which aimed to put a moratorium on any future drilling in the area in exchange for compensation from the international community to the tune of US$3.6 billion over a period of approximately 10 years. Although the initiative received overwhelmingly positive and favorable reactions from governments and organizations around the globe, it was cancelled in 2013 by Correa due to lack of funding. The controversy over Correa’s conclusion of the Yasuní-ITT initiative has been a part of larger discussions occurring within Ecuador over the past few decades concerning changing rights, new forms of representation, and alternatives to the traditional development practices. Accompanying these new formulations of citizenship is the idea of ‘sumak kawsay’ or 'buen vivir,' a pluralistic concept stemming from an Andean indigenous cosmovisión which promotes indigenous knowledge, social welfare, democracy and living within ones means and in harmony with ones community, including not only humans but with all aspects of nature, including animals, plants and the elements While buen vivir is appealing to social movements, conservationists and leftist academics both within and outside of Ecuador for a myriad of reasons, the failure of the Yasuní-ITT initiative has cast doubts as to whether it provides an alternative political paradigm that can function economically on a national scale within the capitalist world structure in which we currently operate and exist. This thesis aims to analyze whether sumak kawsay can accomplish its goals of respecting nature within Ecuador while also economically benefitting both the state and the Ecuadorian people.Show less
