Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities
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Pertanika · Universiti Putra Malaysia Press

Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities

Official journal of Universiti Putra Malaysia for scholarly work across the social sciences, humanities and related interdisciplinary fields.

e-ISSN 2231-8534 ISSN 0128-7702
Research article

Re-conceptualizing Environmental Ethics in the Anthropocene

Kalpita Bhar Paul

KeywordsAnthropocene, environmental ethics, human—environment relationship, phenomenology
Article content

Abstract

This essay critically analyzes two partakers of environmental ethics: environment and human, to understand how these are conceptualized in the discipline. I argue this critical evaluation is particularly necessary to comprehend why after more than four decades since environmental ethics has emerged, we arrive at the zenith of the Anthropocene. I see this analysis would precisely demarcate the ground, environmental ethics needs to cover to become appropriate for the era of the Anthropocene. This essay affirms that it is high time to delve into the relationship between human and the environment to understand the relational conceptualization of environment for adopting a hybridized notion to meet the needs of the hour. This concludes that adopting phenomenology as a theoretical perspective as well as a methodological tool could enable environmental ethics to uphold a relational conceptualization of environment—appropriate for the Anthropocene.