The Progressive Trajectory of Contemporary Western Biocentrism and Its Evaluation

Biocentrism is one of the contemporary Western non-anthropocentric environmental ethical trends. Albert Schweitzer advocated extending ethical concern to all living beings, laying the foundation for modern biocentrism; Paul Taylor proposed a "reverence for life" biocentrism based on the understanding of organisms' "good" and "inherent value," and formulated corresponding normative principles; Robin Attfield presented his biocentrism through key dimensions such as the hierarchy of moral concern for organisms, the promotion of organisms' values and rights, and a two-dimensional evaluation criterion encompassing priority of rights and global citizenship; James P. Sterba redefined the concept of moral agents and innovated ethical principles from a pluralistic perspective. Having undergone multiple challenges in aspects such as the distribution of values and rights, ethical interaction, and practical application in the real world, biocentrism provides a new path for human moral self-cultivation. It represents an ethical transformation of humanity from egoism to a higher level of moral pursuit, advancing the process of in-depth reflection on the relationship between humans and nature.