Human Being and Nature: Natural Law as a Basis of Environmental Ethics

Pia Valenzuela

Human Being and Nature: Natural Law as a Basis of Environmental Ethics

Key words: environmental ethics, nature, human being, deep ecology, participation, natural law, Thomas Aquinas.

Abstract:
This article presents Thomas Aquinas’ natural law argument with the intention to justify environmental ethics by referring to the natural law as the participation in the eternal law. Before dealing with what constitutes this participation of the eternal law, understood as an active and passive participation, it is necessary to examine what environmental ethics strives for. In general, environmental ethics aims to argue the value of natural beings and moral attitude towards nature. The consideration of the passive participation in the eternal law both in human and natural beings is useful for justifying not only the value of natural beings, but also the community of life between humans and the rest of nature. The consideration of the active participation in the eternal law in human beings serves to argue the moral responsibility for non-rational beings.

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