The platform of the deep ecology movement: A formulation

Arne Naess

1. “The flourishing of human and nonhuman life on Earth has inherent value. The value of nonhuman life forms is independent of the usefulness of the nonhuman world for human purposes.” The great majority indicated their agreement.

2. “Abundance and diversity of life forms are values in themselves and contribute to the flourishing of human and nonhuman life on Earth.” The great majority agree.

3. “Humans have no right to reduce this abundance and diversity except to satisfy vital needs.” The great majority tend to agree. Many comment on the term “vital”.

4. “The flourishing of human life and cultures is compatible with a substantially decrease in the human population, and the flourishing of nonhuman life requires such a decrease. The great majority agree.

5. “Present human interference with the nonhuman world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening.” The great majority agree.

6. “Policies must therefore be changed. These changes in policies affect basic economic, technological, and ideological structures. The resulting state of affairs would be deeply different from the present and would make possible a more joyful experience of the connectedness of all things.” The great majority tend to agree. Some find the last sentence rhetorical and doubtful.

7. “The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating life quality rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living. There will be a profound awareness of the difference between big and great.” The great majority tend to agree.

8. “Those who subscribe to the foregoing points have an obligation, directly or indirectly, to participate in the attempt to implement the necessary changes.” The great majority agree.

Fonte: Naess, A. 1986. In: Soulé, ME, org. Conservation biology. Sunderland, Sinauer.