Volume-XII, Issue-II, March 2026 |
পাশ্চাত্য দর্শনে পরিবেশ ভাবনার বিবর্তন: প্রি-সোফিস্ট থেকে কান্ট এবং সমকালীন স্থায়িত্বশীল উন্নয়ন প্রিয়াঙ্কা সাধুখাঁ, গবেষক, দর্শন বিভাগ, বর্ধমান বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, বর্ধমান বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, বর্ধমান, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Received: 18.02.2026 | Accepted: 19.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.02W. | |||||||
The Evolution of Environmental Thought in Western Philosophy: From the Pre-Sophists to Kant and Contemporary Sustainable Development Priyanka Sadhukhan, Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, University of Burdwan, Bardhaman, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
The relationship between humans and nature has been a central concern in philosophical discourse since the earliest stages of civilization. Despite their dependence on nature, human beings have often treated it merely as a means to fulfil their own interests. In Western philosophy, this tendency is reflected in the dominance of anthropocentrism, which places humans at the center of moral consideration and often leads to speciesist attitudes toward non-human life. This paper examines the evolution of environmental thought in Western philosophy, tracing its development from the Pre-Socratic period through the Sophists, Socrates, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and modern thinkers such as Descartes, Locke, and Kant. It argues that this tradition has largely upheld an anthropocentric worldview. However, in the twentieth century, environmental ethics underwent a significant transformation through the contributions of Aldo Leopold, Arne Naess, Holmes Rolston III, and Val Plumwood, who emphasized the intrinsic value of nature. The paper also explores Sustainable Development as a contemporary framework that seeks to balance human needs with environmental responsibility, highlighting the interdependence between humans and nature. | ||
Keywords: Environmental Ethics, Anthropocentrism, Speciesism, Western Philosophy, Sustainable Development |