Humans’ Moral Obligation to Preserve Endangered Species
Humans’ Moral Obligation to Preserve Endangered Species
Many species that exists today are becoming endangered to extinction. In the past era where humans did not exist, extinction occurred due to natural causes. On this present time however, extinction of species are threatened by humans’ existence. Humans are the only moral agent; in which, it has the intellectual capacity that animals and plants do not have. Thus, humans are powerful and dominate over any species. Many practices that humans do such as: tree logging, environment pollution, exploitation of animals and others has led to many species being endangered to extinction. Thus, humans have a moral obligation to preserve endangered species for such reasons focus on biodiversity, future generation and cultural icon.
First argument why humans have moral obligation to preserve endangered species would be for the reason of biodiversity. Every species are all unique with each other. Each one has its own unique genetic code. So, if one species become extinct, they cannot be replaced. As well as all species have a purpose for one organism or so. Extinction of species would cause the chain of an on going process that occur everyday for organisms to be in disorder. That is, if one would take a species out in the ecosystem, it would lead to extinctions of many other species. As Holmes Rolston (Duties to Endangered Species p. 323) argues, “Extinction shuts down the generative processes. The wrong that humans are doing or allowing to happen through carelessness, is stopping the historical flow in which vitality of life is laid. Every extinction is a kind of superkilling. It kills forms (species), beyond individuals.” Therefore, if extinction of species affects the ecosystem, then it will also affect humanity. Humans benefits from plants and animals, just like plants and animals benefit from humans and to one another. However, short-term effect of extinction may not be visible, but in a long
Many species that exists today are becoming endangered to extinction. In the past era where humans did not exist, extinction occurred due to natural causes. On this present time however, extinction of species are threatened by humans’ existence. Humans are the only moral agent; in which, it has the intellectual capacity that animals and plants do not have. Thus, humans are powerful and dominate over any species. Many practices that humans do such as: tree logging, environment pollution, exploitation of animals and others has led to many species being endangered to extinction. Thus, humans have a moral obligation to preserve endangered species for such reasons focus on biodiversity, future generation and cultural icon.
First argument why humans have moral obligation to preserve endangered species would be for the reason of biodiversity. Every species are all unique with each other. Each one has its own unique genetic code. So, if one species become extinct, they cannot be replaced. As well as all species have a purpose for one organism or so. Extinction of species would cause the chain of an on going process that occur everyday for organisms to be in disorder. That is, if one would take a species out in the ecosystem, it would lead to extinctions of many other species. As Holmes Rolston (Duties to Endangered Species p. 323) argues, “Extinction shuts down the generative processes. The wrong that humans are doing or allowing to happen through carelessness, is stopping the historical flow in which vitality of life is laid. Every extinction is a kind of superkilling. It kills forms (species), beyond individuals.” Therefore, if extinction of species affects the ecosystem, then it will also affect humanity. Humans benefits from plants and animals, just like plants and animals benefit from humans and to one another. However, short-term effect of extinction may not be visible, but in a long
References: Regan, T. 1983. The Case for Animal Rights. University of California Press, Berkeley Rescher, N. 1980. Unpopular Essays of Technological Progress. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburg, Pa. Rolston III, H. Duties to Endangered Species, p. 323-326. Singer, P. 1979. Not for humans only. In K.E. Goodpaster and K.M Sayre, ed. Ethics and Problems of the 21st Century. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN. VanDeVeer, D., & Pierce, C. (2003). The Environmental Ethics & Policy Book. In LM. Russow, Why Do Species Matter? p.475. Belmont, Ca: Holly Allen.