The Future of Life

Wilson opens Chapter 6 asking what, in the face of the destruction of many other life forms, it means to be human, and what ethical obligations this role places on human beings. First, there is the moral value of the “living library” represented by other life forms. Like humans, other species are made up of genetic material that is immeasurably complex and adapted to their specific ecological niche. Second, there is the fact that all life shares the same genetic heritage, a common ancestor dating back 3.5 billion years. Finally, there is stewardship—the idea that human beings represent the mind of nature, the self-conscious manifestation of the biosphere, responsible for its conservation.

Wilson then asks if other species have inalienable rights. There are three possible responses, ranging from anthropocentrism, by which only humans have rights, through pathocentrism, in which some other species do, to biocentrism, in which all organisms have an intrinsic right to exist. Wilson notes that the root of the latter framework—biophilia, or the love of life—could be an instinctual appreciation for “novelty and diversity in other organisms” (134). Psychological research suggests this tendency starts to manifest between ages six and nine. Wilson notes that other research suggests that nature has a positive impact on well-being, supporting the idea that