ESEP 24:31-45 (2024)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esep00211

ABSTRACT: Environmental theory and practice can benefit greatly from Emmanuel Levinas’ non-ontological philosophy of the Other in order to address the current global environmental crisis. From this viewpoint, this article focuses on 2 major positions within deep ecology. We discuss the significance of transitioning from one of them, which represents biocentric responsibility, to the other, which seeks to achieve environmental justice by challenging the hegemony of institutionalised environmentalism. In Levinasian terms, this is represented by moving from the anarchic realm of ethics (face-to-face) to the totalising realm of politics (humanity), where the naked face of the Other becomes visible in the presence of a Third, and decision-making and concrete disputes resolution becomes necessary. Within this framework, historical and current inequalities compel the global North to degrow in order to allow the Others to weather the consequences of resource overconsumption and inequality.

KEY WORDS: Otherness · Ethics · Third party · Critical theory · Latin America · Environmental politics

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Cite this article as: Barzola-Elizagaray P, Agoglia O (2024) Deep ecology and the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas: the importance of moving from biocentric responsibility to environmental justice. Ethics Sci Environ Polit 24:31-45. https://doi.org/10.3354/esep00211 Export citation Share:    Facebook - - Bluesky - linkedIn