lifecentered

Lifecentered describes a worldview, ethical stance, or practice that centers life—the beings and processes that make up ecosystems—at the core of decision making. In lifecentered thinking, living beings and ecological integrity have intrinsic value and merit moral consideration beyond their usefulness to humans. The term is often positioned as a contrast to anthropocentrism, while overlapping with ecocentric or biocentric perspectives that emphasize interdependence within ecosystems.

In practical terms, lifecentered approaches inform policy, conservation, education, and design. Policy frameworks motivated by lifecentered thinking prioritize biodiversity, habitat protection, and ecosystem services, recognizing that human well-being arises from healthy ecosystems. In design and technology, lifecentered design aims to create systems, products, and services that work with living systems, minimize harm, and support resilience of biological networks. In education, lifecentered curricula teach students to understand organisms and ecological processes as interconnected components of life on Earth.

Related concepts include ecocentrism, biocentrism, and deep ecology. Critics note that implementing lifecentered ideals can involve trade-offs with human needs and economic considerations, and that valuation of nonhuman life may be difficult to measure. Proponents respond that adaptive governance and participatory decision making can mediate these tensions and foster stewardship of living systems.