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Index of Subjects
LEFT BIOCENTRISM PRIMER
- Left biocentrism is a left focus or theoretical tendency
within the deep ecology movement, which is subversive of the
existing industrial society. It accepts and promotes the
eight-point Deep Ecology Platform drawn up by Arne Naess
and George Sessions. Left biocentrism holds up as an ideal,
identification, solidarity, and compassion with all
life. "Left" as used in left biocentrism, means anti-
industrial and anti-capitalist, but not necessarily
socialist. The expressions 'left biocentrism' or 'left
ecocentrism' are used interchangeably.
- Left biocentrism accepts the view that the Earth belongs
to no one. While raising a number of criticisms, left
biocentrism is meant to strengthen, not undermine, the deep
ecology movement which identifies with all life.
- Left biocentrism says that individuals must take
responsibility for their actions and be socially
accountable. Part of being individually responsible is to
practice voluntary simplicity, so as to minimize one's own
impact upon the Earth.
- Left biocentrists are concerned with social justice and
class issues, but within a context of ecology. To move to a
deep ecology world, the human species must be mobilized, and
a concern for social justice is a necessary part of this
mobilization. Left biocentrism is for the redistribution of
wealth, nationally and internationally.
- Left biocentrism opposes economic growth and
consumerism. Human societies must live within ecological
limits so that all other species may continue to flourish.
We believe that bioregionalism, not globalism, is necessary
for sustainability. The perspective of the late German Green
philosopher Rudolf Bahro is accepted that, for world-wide
sustainability, industrialized countries need to reduce
their impact upon the Earth to about one tenth of what it is
at the present time. It is also incumbent upon non-
industrialized nations to become sustainable and it is
necessary for industrialized nations to help on this path.
- Left biocentrism holds that individual and collective
spiritual transformation is important to bring about major
social change, and to break with industrial society. We need
inward transformation, so that the interests of all species
override the short-term self-interest of the individual,
the family, the community, and the nation.
- Left biocentrism believes that deep ecology must be
applied to actual environmental issues and struggles, no
matter how socially sensitive, e.g. population reduction,
aboriginal issues, workers' struggles, etc.
- Social ecology, eco-feminism and eco-marxism, while raising
important questions, are all human-centered and consider
human-to-human relations within society to be more important
and, in the final analysis, determine society's relationship
to the natural world. Left biocentrism believes that an
egalitarian, non-sexist, non-discriminating society, a highly
desirable goal, can still be exploitive towards the Earth.
- Left biocentrists are "movement greens" in basic
orientation. They are critical of existing Green political
parties, which have come to an accommodation with industrial
society and have no accountability to the deep ecology
movement.
- To be politically relevant, deep ecology needs to
incorporate the perspective advanced by left biocentrism.
March 15, 1998
The above Primer is a result of a protracted collective discussion
among a numer of those who support left biocentrism and deep
ecology.
David Orton, Coordinator,
Green Web
R.R. #3 Saltsprings, Nova Scotia, Canada
B0K 1P0
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We are printing below the eight-point Deep Ecology Platform,
because at present these are the unifying principles of the
deep ecology movement.
The Deep Ecology Platform
1. The well-being and flourishing of human and nonhuman life on
Earth have value in themselves (synonyms: inherent worth,
intrinsic value, inherent value). These values are independent
of the usefulness of the nonhuman world for human purposes.
2. Richness and diversity of life-forms contribute to the
realization of these values and are also values in themselves.
3. Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity
except to satisfy vital needs.
4. Present human interference with the nonhuman world is
excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening.
5. The flourishing of human life and cultures is compatible with
a substantial decrease of the human population. The flourishing
of nonhuman life requires such a decrease.
6. Policies must therefore be changed. The changes in policies
affect basic economic, technological, and ideological structures.
The resulting state of affairs will be deeply different from the
present.
7. The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating life
quality (dwelling in situations of inherent worth) rather than
adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living. There will
be a profound awareness of the difference between big and great.
8. Those who subscribe to the foregoing points have an obligation
directly or indirectly to participate in the attempt to implement
the necessary changes.
-- Arne Naess and George Sessions
Source: _Clearcut: The Tragedy of Industrial Forestry_, edited by
Bill Devall (San Francisco: Sierra Club Books and Earth Island
Press, 1993).
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Index of Subjects