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Putting Humans First

Deep Ecology is still concerned with putting humans first. One of the misunderstandings about Deep Ecology is that it requires humans to sacrifice their own good for the good of non-humans. 

People assume we have to be saint-like in our reverence for the natural environment, and they don't want to be like that. And fair enough too. But Deep Ecology is not saying that we humans have to settle for anything less.

"We don't say that every living being has the same value as a human, but that it has an intrinsic value which is not quantifiable. It is not equal or unequal. It has a right to live and blossom."

- Arne Naess

Expanding our compassion towards the rest of creation does not imply that we must diminish our compassion for humans. Since we are humans we must be putting humans first.

Just like sharks look out for sharks and put themselves first. They don't put the rest of the ocean before themselves or make sacrifices for the good of the other creatures in their ecosystem.

But at the same time neither do they seek to take control of the ocean. They look out for themselves while at the same time letting others live and blossom.

So we can be putting humans first, but we must do it in a way that doesn't destroy non-human creation, in a way that allows others their chance to evolve and unfold.

We need to abide by the law of limited competition. This is an evolutionary law that governs the relationships between species and keeps everything in balance. Species that obey the law can be utterly selfish and self absorbed without destroying their environment. However our civilization exists by breaking the law which is why despite our good intentions for the environment we still destroy it.

This isn't about making a sacrifice. This is about getting something better.

Deep Ecology isn't asking anybody to go around hugging trees or giving up their fruit so the insects can eat it. It just wants us to go back to living within the law of limited competition, as we have done for most of human history.

This isn’t about making a sacrifice. Mother culture and shallow ecology tell us that saving the world means sacrifice and pain. But that is just a myth. This is about getting something better. Life is much more satisfying when we are a part of the community of life rather than a foe trying to conquer the Earth. Once people become aware of the choice, aware that there is a different way they will rush to take it.

Related Articles From Deep Ecology Hub:

• The Law Of Limited Competition
• The Global Vision Of Deep Ecology
• The Ecophilosophy Of Deep Ecology
• Mother Culture
• The Great Forgetting

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