Uniting Ecocentric and Animal Ethics: Combining Non-Anthropocentric Approaches in Conservation and the Care of Domestic Animals

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Frameworks	(Intrinsic) value or moral importance is assigned to	Actions associated with maintaining this value	Main and subordinate ‘adversary’	Relationship with other frameworks
Ecocentrism, deep ecology, land ethics	Native or endemic biodiversity, genetic, species and ecosystem variety, whole ecosystems, have greater intrinsic value and ethical standing than feral animals and exotic plants.	Invasive species need to be controlled by active management and intervention. ‘Ecocentric ethics of land management’ includes a hierarchy of values. Ambition: Establishing political and legal structures protecting biodiversity, rewilding	Anthropocentrism; Human population growth and industrial development; Invasive species that cause extinctions of endemic species, domestic animals that go feral, farm animals that take up ever more natural ecosystems	Misgivings towards some strands of compassionate conservation that argue feral animals and exotic plants are harmless. Animals released from laboratories by animal rights activists invade native ecosystems
Animal rights, animal welfare, animal liberation	All life, but often focused on individuals within the species, often focused on ‘higher animals’ such as mammals and birds, and to lesser degree insects, bacteria, etc.	The liberation of laboratory, farm, zoo, circus, etc. animals. Promoting veganism. Protecting individuals. Ambition: Establishing political and legal structures protecting animals (complementing existing or building new ones)	Anthropocentrism; Human population growth and industrial development; food, medical and other industries that directly or indirectly cause animal suffering	Misgivings against conservation management that culls predators, invasive species, or select animals such as horses or cats. Sometimes against the use of sterilization.
Combined ecocentric and animal ethics	All life, biosphere, biodiversity, and individuals within the species; the highest moral achievement we can attain	Ambition: Establishing political and legal structures protecting biodiversity and individuals complementing existing or establishing new institutions, eco-representation, ecodemocracy, eco-justice. Half-Earth and bio-proportionality	Anthropocentrism; Human population growth and industrial development; conversion of wild habitat into urban or agricultural areas, inhumane treatment of farm animals, and environmental damage	Attempting to reconcile and combine (make complementary) two frameworks above, combining care for habitats (ecosystems) with care for individual animals. Attention to ‘common enemy’ (human expansion)