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Environmental Ethics and Human Responsibility Toward Nature: A Philosophical Framework for Intergenerational Justice and Ecological Stewardship
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Environmental Ethics and Human Responsibility
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I10-1719205
Abstract
The accelerating environmental crisis of the twenty-first century demands a fundamental reexamination of human moral responsibilities toward nature. This study investigates the philosophical foundations of environmental ethics and articulates a comprehensive framework for human responsibility that transcends traditional anthropocentric limitations while maintaining practical applicability. Employing qualitative conceptual analysis and comparative philosophical methodology, this research critically examines three predominant ethical paradigms—anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism—alongside emerging frameworks including environmental stewardship, intergenerational justice, and the rights of nature movement. Data sources encompass 25 scholarly publications from Scopus-indexed journals (2020-2026), philosophical texts, and contemporary policy documents including Agenda 21 and sustainable development frameworks. The analysis utilizes comparative analysis, interpretive methodology, and critical philosophical evaluation grounded in theories developed by Aldo Leopold, Arne Næss, Dale Jamieson, and contemporary environmental philosophers. Key findings demonstrate that exclusive anthropocentric frameworks insufficiently address the moral dimensions of environmental degradation, while pure ecocentric approaches face implementation challenges in human-centered political systems. The research establishes that environmental responsibility must be understood through a synthesized framework integrating intrinsic value recognition, expanded ecological responsibility, and justice-based considerations encompassing both marginalized contemporary populations and future generations. Results reveal that intergenerational justice states present humanity has ethical obligation to ensure future generations access healthy ecosystems, abundant natural resources, and predictable climate. The study contributes a novel integrative framework balancing ecological integrity with human flourishing, emphasizing environmental stewardship as ethics for environmental respectability challenging irresponsible appropriation and instrumentalization of nature. Indigenous knowledge systems offer complementary pathways understanding social-environmental problems through accumulated generational observation. This research advances environmental ethics discourse by providing practical framework for ethical oversight in environmental policy, conservation practice, and climate governance in the twenty-first century.[1][2][3][4][5]
Keywords
Environmental Ethics, Human Responsibility, Intergenerational Justice, Ecocentrism, Environmental Stewardship, Intrinsic Value, Environmental Justice
How to cite this paper
@article{1719205,
author = {Dr. Vaseem Khan},
title = {Environmental Ethics and Human Responsibility Toward Nature: A Philosophical Framework for Intergenerational Justice and Ecological Stewardship},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {10},
pages = {5005-5026},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719205.pdf},
abstract = {The accelerating environmental crisis of the twenty-first century demands a fundamental reexamination of human moral responsibilities toward nature. This study investigates the philosophical foundations of environmental ethics and articulates a comprehensive framework for human responsibility that transcends traditional anthropocentric limitations while maintaining practical applicability. Employing qualitative conceptual analysis and comparative philosophical methodology, this research critically examines three predominant ethical paradigms—anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism—alongside emerging frameworks including environmental stewardship, intergenerational justice, and the rights of nature movement. Data sources encompass 25 scholarly publications from Scopus-indexed journals (2020-2026), philosophical texts, and contemporary policy documents including Agenda 21 and sustainable development frameworks. The analysis utilizes comparative analysis, interpretive methodology, and critical philosophical evaluation grounded in theories developed by Aldo Leopold, Arne Næss, Dale Jamieson, and contemporary environmental philosophers. Key findings demonstrate that exclusive anthropocentric frameworks insufficiently address the moral dimensions of environmental degradation, while pure ecocentric approaches face implementation challenges in human-centered political systems. The research establishes that environmental responsibility must be understood through a synthesized framework integrating intrinsic value recognition, expanded ecological responsibility, and justice-based considerations encompassing both marginalized contemporary populations and future generations. Results reveal that intergenerational justice states present humanity has ethical obligation to ensure future generations access healthy ecosystems, abundant natural resources, and predictable climate. The study contributes a novel integrative framework balancing ecological integrity with human flourishing, emphasizing environmental stewardship as ethics for environmental respectability challenging irresponsible appropriation and instrumentalization of nature. Indigenous knowledge systems offer complementary pathways understanding social-environmental problems through accumulated generational observation. This research advances environmental ethics discourse by providing practical framework for ethical oversight in environmental policy, conservation practice, and climate governance in the twenty-first century.[1][2][3][4][5]},
keywords = {Environmental Ethics, Human Responsibility, Intergenerational Justice, Ecocentrism, Environmental Stewardship, Intrinsic Value, Environmental Justice},
month = {April},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I10-1719205}
}