4. Singer and Lovelock

Question 1

1. Gaia Hypothesis

Answer 1

• Developed by James Lovelock.
• Was originally viewed with scepticism by scientists.
• Argues that the Earth is a self-regulating system that has regulated the environment to perfectly sustain life on Earth.

• All organisations (ecosystems, water etc) help to regulate conditions on Earth.
• Lovelock: calls the Earth ‘Gaia’ which is a Greek deity which personified the Earth
- ‘Entire surface of the Earth including life is a self-regulating entity and this is what I meant by Gaia’

Strengths:

• Gaia hypothesis challenges anthropocentric understandings of Earth because it suggests that humans are not the most important species (one part of a living whole)
• It is secular, although it has appealed to some religious people. It challenges Darwinism because it creates a role for Gaia in development of organisms.
• It emphasises the interdependence of all ecosystems and sees environment as a whole entity. (valuable in itself)

Weaknesses:

• Lovelock: in his latest book, was more pessimistic about ability of planet to respond to climate change. (result of damage done by humans)
• Singer: it is wrong to attribute idea of intrinsic value to a non-sentient being.

Question 2

2. Utilitarian Defence of Animal Welfare

Answer 2

• Singer puts forward theory in his book ‘Animal Liberation’
• All sentient beings have an interest in avoiding pain
• We would not ignore a person based on skin colour but we do so based on their species (Singer calls this: Speciesism)
• Singer promotes vegan or vegetarian lifestyle to decrease suffering of animals

Question 3

Summary

Answer 3

1. Gaia Hypothesis

2. Utilitarian Defence of Animal Welfare