Are you Anthropocentric or Biocentric?

brianlux

This might make for interesting discussion. Using the following definitions, how do you view yourself in terms of your relationship to the world or even the universe as a whole?
Anthropocentric: 1: Regarding humankind as the central or most important element of existence, especially as opposed to God or animals. 2. considering human beings as the most significant entity of the universe

Biocentric: : 1. The view or belief that the rights and needs of humans are not more important than those of other living things. 2. considering all forms of life as having intrinsic value.

mickeyrat

no depends on the day/mood option? hehehehe

brianlux

Biocentric

Ok, I voted- I did start this, after all, haha!

I'll back my vote by saying that to my way of thinking, biocentrism makes more sense than anthropocentrism because we are part of a larger whole and we are dependent on that whole but it is not dependent on us. A strong argument can be made that worms, ants, and bacteria are more important than humans because worms, ants, bacteria do not need humans to survive but humans need them to survive. Things are not always what we first assume. In my first year in the Human Services in college our instructor asked us to place in order (in the context of working for a counseling/human services agency) the importance of the client, the agency and ourselves as helpers. She called this order "trinity safety" and said that the agency comes first, then ourselves, then lastly, the client because without the agency we would not be there to serve the client and without ourselves (or someone like us) the client would not be served. So the idea is to support that which holds all together first. Thus my belief in biocentrism.

hedonist

mickeyrat said:

no depends on the day/mood option? hehehehe

I know this was said in jest, but there's truth to it for me. I know we - human beings as a whole - are same as any other life in terms of our place, if that makes sense. Ultimately ants, pissants even.

Yet, I would probably kill to protect the life of the ant I love and live with.

It's/we're all related, I think.

Last-12-Exit

Anthropocentric

I picked option A.

chadwick

Biocentric

b

mickeyrat

hedonist said:

mickeyrat said:

no depends on the day/mood option? hehehehe

I know this was said in jest, but there's truth to it for me. I know we - human beings as a whole - are same as any other life in terms of our place, if that makes sense. Ultimately ants, pissants even.

Yet, I would probably kill to protect the life of the ant I love and live with.

It's/we're all related, I think.

Fits me too. Best days i'm b

Godfather.

B.....this planet would die without the other life forms.

Godfather.

Godfather.

were you expecting me to say A ?

Godfather.

gimmesometruth27

Biocentric

biocentric.

brianlux

Biocentric

Godfather. said:

were you expecting me to say A ?

Godfather.

No, not at all, GF. No expectations at all.

I'm just fascinated by the contrasts of these ways of seeing things. For me personally, I think it's a good exercise because it's really easy to at least subconsciously consider oneself to be god-like in some way and our instincts lead us to putting ourselves in the middle of our own universes- partly as a survival mechanism. Going back to the question of which relies on which for survival- humans or microbes- it's humbling to realize we are- in the big picture of things- less than dirt. The cool thing is that when we see ourselves as part of a bigger more important whole both us and all other life have a better chance for survival.

So I would also never put down someone for saying they are anthropocentic because we probably all are so, at least to some extent. It really feels good to see oneself as hot shit, right? Most everyone wants that at least sometimes. But again, if we move closer to biocentrism we might find ourselves back in alignment with the continuum.

Godfather.

brianlux said:

Godfather. said:

were you expecting me to say A ?

Godfather.

No, not at all, GF. No expectations at all.

I'm just fascinated by the contrasts of these ways of seeing things. For me personally, I think it's a good exercise because it's really easy to at least subconsciously consider oneself to be god-like in some way and our instincts lead us to putting ourselves in the middle of our own universes- partly as a survival mechanism. Going back to the question of which relies on which for survival- humans or microbes- it's humbling to realize we are- in the big picture of things- less than dirt. The cool thing is that when we see ourselves as part of a bigger more important whole both us and all other life have a better chance for survival.

So I would also never put down someone for saying they are anthropocentic because we probably all are so, at least to some extent. It really feels good to see oneself as hot shit, right? Most everyone wants that at least sometimes. But again, if we move closer to biocentrism we might find ourselves back in alignment with the continuum.

you are a wise man my friend.

Godfather.

josevolution

Biocentric

bio

Jason P

More time has passed between the extinction of the Stegosaurus and the T-Rex than the T-Rex and you and I.

brianlux

Biocentric

Jason P said:

More time has passed between the extinction of the Stegosaurus and the T-Rex than the T-Rex and you and I.

This is a verifiable fact. The difference is about 15 million years.

So JP, Biocentric or Anthropocentric?

Godfather.

when ever we loose a species the ripple effict is felt by most...it changes the game plane of survivle.

Godfather.