Final answer:
True, environmental ethics respects the existence of other human and nonhuman entities within the environment, focusing on our moral obligations and the intrinsic value of nature.
Step-by-step explanation:
Environmental ethics is a field of applied ethics that addresses our moral responsibilities to both human and nonhuman entities in our environment. This philosophical approach affirms that we have a duty of care to nature, considering its intrinsic value beyond mere human interests. The beginnings of the environmental movement were rooted in concerns such as air and water pollution, leading to the creation of organizations and agencies like the EPA. Philosophers within environmental ethics debate the extent to which our ethical commitments should prioritize nonhuman entities alongside human interests, challenging purely anthropocentric perspectives that view nature solely as a means to human ends.
Deep ecology is one approach within environmental ethics suggesting that all life has inherent value. This is contrasted with traditional anthropocentric approaches, which see the environment primarily as valuable for its utility to humans. Meanwhile, other philosophers suggest that human self-interest, including our reliance on clean air and water, also underpins a moral responsibility to the environment. The field of environmental ethics explores these varied perspectives and drives the discourse on how to ethically interact with our environment.
Environmental ethics respect the existence of other human and nonhuman entities within the environment. The value of nature and our moral obligations are at the core of this discipline, which serves as an imperative guide for our conduct concerning all forms of life within our shared ecosystem.