Environmentalism: Conflicting Views Between Evolution And Preservation

Throughout this course, ecological consciousness has been discussed, In lesson seven readers explore this concept a little further by discussing the conflicting views between evolution and preservation. The question of whether species and ecosystems should be preserved for reasons other than their use as a humans resources? Otherwise known as the main conceptual problems with environmentalism.

Environmentalism appeals to what is natural and preserving the natural state of species and ecosystems for the value of their survival. Preservation is the process of protecting and preserving natural life in its natural habitat. However, defining what is natural has become an issue in identifying wild and domesticated species. Environmentalist see wild as more worthy of saving than …show more content…
Such as plants turning yellow and crisp are indicating that they need water for survival or else they will cease to exist. A well-known philosopher named Aristotle in short claims that all natural species have needs and want to “persist in their natural state”. However the author Elliott Sober introduces the fact that all things have needs from plants, mountains, dumpsters, machines, however, the problem with environmentalism is determining a way to weigh and determine the needs of different objects. To determine this we also need to keep in mind how needs can conflict. Such as in business situations determining whether a city should build a highway even though it can damage an ecosystem to plant and animal life. It's not necessarily about the specific definition of natural and artificial objects aesthetically they can appear the same but there is more value placed on the natural biological beauty of objects simply because people feel more aesthetically connected to it. It not because the artificial object such as a highway, serves less purpose, or has