Final answer:
Lynn White attributes the anthropocentric perspective in Western thinking to Judeo-Christian beliefs that regard humans as superior to the nonhuman world, with nature created mainly for human utility.
Step-by-step explanation:
Historically, Western thinking has been influenced heavily by an anthropocentric perspective, which prioritizes human beings above all other forms of life. According to historian and scholar Lynn White, in his seminal essay "The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis," this worldview is largely a result of Judeo-Christian thinking which posits that humans are superior to the nonhuman world and that nature exists primarily for human use.
White's work highlights how these religious beliefs have framed the natural world as having only instrumental value, meaning its worth is measured solely by its utility to humans, rather than having intrinsic value of its own.
White suggests that this perspective has not only shaped Western philosophy and science from ancient Greece through the Enlightenment but also had profound implications for the environment. The anthropocentric view anchors the perception that exploiting nature is permissible, which, over time, has led to the degradation of the environment and the current ecological crisis.