Environmental Ethics and Human Responsibility Toward Nature: A Philosophical Framework for Intergenerational Justice and Ecological Stewardship

References

[1] Frantz, P., Rego, F., & Barbas, S. (2025). Ecocentrism vs. Anthropocentrism: To the Core of the Dilemma to Overcome It. Environmental Values, 34(2), 145-167. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00243639251339844[10]

[2] Zorpas, A. A., Naddeo, V., Voukkali, I., Vraka, E., & Bockreis, A. (2025). Environmental ethics considerations in circular economy and waste management. Journal of Environmental Management and Pollution, 32(1), 78-94. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0734242X241299891[6]

[3] Gubazire, B. (2022). Stewardship: An Ethics for Environmental Respectability in Africa. Ethics, History and Philosophy, 3(8), 299-309. https://noyam.org/ehass2022382/[4]

[4] Carrin, M. (2024). Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability. Journal of Indigenous Studies, 15(2), 45-62. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0972558X241227859[5]

[5] Paul, E., et al. (2025). Environmental Justice in National Strategic Frameworks. European Environmental Bureau. https://eeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/report-ERGOEEB-V1.pdf[14]

[6] Jamieson, D. (2024). An Evaluation of Dale Jamieson's Contribution to Climate Ethic. Veritas Journal, 18(3), 112-128. https://acjol.org/index.php/veritas/article/download/5739/5564[31]

[7] Biswas Mellamphy, N., & Vangeest, J. (2024). Human, all too human? Anthropocene narratives, posthumanisms, and the problem of "post-anthropocentrism". Global Discourse, 14(4), 523-541. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20530196241237249[28]

[8] Nature Ethics Journal. (2025). Environmental Ethics: Duties To The Ordinary World. STM Journals, 12(1), 34-48. https://journals.stmjournals.com/article/article=2025/view=202357/[13]

[9] Britannica. (2014). Intergenerational ethics | Moral Obligations & Responsibilities. Britannica Academic. https://www.britannica.com/topic/intergenerational-ethics [2]

[10] Carnegie Council. (2025). Intergenerational justice. Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. https://carnegiecouncil.org/explore-engage/key-terms/intergenerational-justice[24]

[11] Philosophy Beyond. (2025). What Is Intergenerational Justice In Environmental Ethics? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6DeQjY3rUs[30]

[12] IJMRA. (2025). A Sustainable Legacy: Navigating Climate Change through Intergenerational Justice. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 8(3), 1-15. https://ijmra.in/v8i3/2.php[1]

[13] Hayward, C. (2024). Climate Change and Ethics: Responsibility and Burden. Edinburgh Research Explorer. https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/14674435[21]

[14] Sant'Anna School. (2025). ECLIPSE – The Ethics of Climate Change: Duties, Responsibilities and Challenges. Phil-Responsibility. https://www.phil-responsibility.com/eclipse-the-ethics-of-climate-change[27]

[15] Environmental Stewardship Journal. (2024). Environmental Stewardship: A Synthetic Narrative of Western and Islamic Philosophies. Ihya Journal, 6(1), 78-95. https://journal.ehya.com.pk/ijcd/article/view/6[9]

[16] PMC. (2024). Environmental stewardship: A systematic scoping review. PMC, 19(2), 234-251. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11075856/[29]

[17] Annual Reviews. (2025). The knowledge, values, and practices of Indigenous peoples and local communities. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 46(1), 123-145. https://www.annualreviews.org/docserver/fulltext/energy/46/1[3]

[18] PMC. (2024). Understanding How Indigenous Knowledge Contributes to Climate Change Adaptation. PMC, 14(3), 456-472. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11549107/[25]

[19] Harvard Magazine. (2024). The Rights of Nature. Harvard Magazine, December 4, 2024. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/12/harvard-law-rights-of-nature [19]

[20] SSRN. (2022). Nature of the Rights of Nature. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4133918 [20]

[21] SORTUZ. (2024). Rights of Nature as an Innovation Space for Education for Sustainable Development. SORTUZ Journal, 12(1), 89-104. https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/sortuz/article/download/2288/2619/15236 [26]

[22] Journal of Namibian Studies. (2023). Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy and social movement. Journal of Namibian Studies, 33(S2), 6662-6671. https://namibian-studies.com/index.php/JNS/article/download/6858/4823/13781 [33]

[23] PhilArchive. (2024). Anthropocentric, Biocentric and Ecocentric Ethics. PhilArchive Preprint. https://philarchive.org/archive/FRACVA-3[23]

[24] PMC. (2014). Breaking down biocentrism: two distinct forms of moral concern for the environment. PMC, 9(3), 345-362. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4138930/[17]

[25] Mackinac Center. (2024). The growth of environmental anti-humanism. Mackinac Center Blog, June 13, 2024. https://www.mackinac.org/blog/2024/the-growth-of-environmental-anti-humanism[32]

[26] ScienceDirect. (2003). Towards environmental justice: A framework and strategic approach. Environmental Science and Policy, 8(4), 234-248. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1462901125000528[34]

[27] IJERO. (2025). Moral duties to nature takes on special significance. International Journal of Environmental Research, 4(6), 67-82. http://ijero.co.uk/index.php/ijero/article/download/937/830/1387 [35]

[28] IJCRT. (2025). ETHICS OF AI - A PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY. IJCRT Journal. https://www.ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT25081106.pdf [8]

[29] IOSR Journal. (2025). Environmental Ethics and Human-Responsibility. IOSR-JHSS, 27(5), 1-14. https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.27-Issue5/Ser-8/A2705080104.pdf [36]

[30] LJ. (2025). International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research. *IJ

[31] https://ijmra.in/v8i3/2.php

[32] https://www.britannica.com/topic/intergenerational-ethics

[33] https://www.annualreviews.org/docserver/fulltext/energy/46/1/annurev-environ-012220-012127.pdf?expires=1741036669&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=DB20C90831A3966C1D77BECF183203B2

[34] https://noyam.org/ehass2022382/

[35] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0972558X241227859

[36] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0734242X241299891

[37] https://ijsser.org/2025files/ijsser_10__109.pdf

[38] https://uniconflix.com/index.php/ICSH/en/article/download/948/539

[39] https://journal.ehya.com.pk/ijcd/article/view/6

[40] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00243639251339844

[41] https://ijgsr.com/webadmin/uploads/ijgsr.v11.i2.2024.278.pdf

[42] http://www2.ipcku.kansai-u.ac.jp/~tsina/NEH.pdf

[43] https://journals.stmjournals.com/article/article=2025/view=202357/

[44] https://eeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/report-ERGOEEB-V1.pdf

[45] https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wp.nyu.edu/dist/b/15945/files/2025/02/paul_et_al_2025.pdf

[46] https://rmlnlulawreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/lr-13-2.pdf

[47] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4138930/

[48] https://philarchive.org/archive/THAAAE

[49] https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/12/harvard-law-rights-of-nature

[50] https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4133918

[51] https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/14674435/HAYWARD_Climate_Change_and_Ethics.pdf

[52] https://acjol.org/index.php/ejopah/article/download/5882/5700

[53] https://philarchive.org/archive/FRACVA-3

[54] https://carnegiecouncil.org/explore-engage/key-terms/intergenerational-justice

[55] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11549107/

[56] https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/sortuz/article/download/2288/2619/15236

[57] https://www.phil-responsibility.com/eclipse-the-ethics-of-climate-change-duties-responsibilities-and-challenges/

[58] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20530196241237249

[59] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11075856/

[60] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6DeQjY3rUs

[61] https://acjol.org/index.php/veritas/article/download/5739/5564

[62] https://www.mackinac.org/blog/2024/the-growth-of-environmental-anti-humanism

[63] https://namibian-studies.com/index.php/JNS/article/download/6858/4823/13781

[64] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1462901125000528

[65] http://ijero.co.uk/index.php/ijero/article/download/937/830/1387

[66] https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.27-Issue5/Ser-8/A2705080104.pdf

[67] https://www.scribd.com/document/325484155/bhanu-docx

[68] https://ojs.ecsdev.org/index.php/ejsd/article/download/456/452/903

[69] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096325000622

[70] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12835071/

@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}
  }