Anthropocentric

Anthropocentric describes a viewpoint or orientation that regards humans as the central or most significant beings on Earth. The word derives from Greek anthropos "human" and kentron "center." In ethics and politics, anthropocentrism holds that human interests are of primary importance and that the moral and practical value of other beings or ecosystems derives from their relevance to human welfare.

In philosophy and environmental ethics, anthropocentrism is contrasted with ecocentrism and biocentrism. Ecocentrism assigns value to ecosystems and natural processes independently of human use, while biocentrism expands moral worth to all living beings. Some discussions distinguish descriptive anthropocentrism—describing how people think—from normative anthropocentrism—advocating that policy should be guided primarily by human interests.

Application and debates: Anthropocentric reasoning often informs policy and resource management, prioritizing human welfare, economic growth, and sustainability viewed in terms of benefits to people. Critics argue that this stance instrumentalizes nature and ignores intrinsic value and rights of nonhuman entities, potentially enabling ecological harm. Proponents claim it reflects cognitive limits and is pragmatically justifiable in governance and social decision-making.

See also: ecocentrism, biocentrism, moral considerability, anthropomorphism.