--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or…" description: "\"Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the source of all value, and ascribes only instrum..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/fritjof-capra-10298_collections_shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-hu_1302397.jpg" --- # Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It… ![“Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the source of all value, and ascribes only instrumental, or 'use', value to nature. Deep ecology does not separate humans - or anything else - from the natural environment. It does see the world…” quote by Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/fritjof-capra-10298_collections_shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-hu_1302397.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/fritjof-capra-10298_collections_shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-hu_1302397.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/fritjof-capra-10298_collections_shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-hu_1302397.jpg) > “Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the source of all value, and ascribes only instrumental, or 'use', value to nature. Deep ecology does not separate humans - or anything else - from the natural environment. It does see the world not as a collection of isolated objects but as a network of phenomena that are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent. Deep ecology recognizes the intrinsic value of all human beings and views humans as just one particular strand in the web of life.” [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shallow ecology treats nature as a resource for humans, while deep ecology sees all life as intrinsically valuable and interdependent. **In simple terms:** Shallow sees nature as a tool; deep sees it as valuable itself. Key Takeaway Recognize nature’s intrinsic worth beyond human use. Themes environmental ethics interconnectedness value systems human-nature relationship Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical environmental When to use this quote - policy making - education curricula - conservation projects - community planning Key Concepts Anthropocentrism intrinsic value systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance human welfare with intrinsic ecological value? - What policies reflect deep ecological principles? A Different Perspective Deep ecology may overlook practical human needs and economic constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anthropocentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropocentric-542181/) [Anthropocentric Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropocentric-human-1395775/) [Collections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collections/) [Deep ecology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-ecology/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Ecology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecology/) [Ecology Anthropocentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecology-anthropocentric-4281793/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Interconnected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interconnected/) [Intrinsic value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intrinsic-value/) [Isolated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolated/) [Just one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-one/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-environment/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Objects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objects/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Shallow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shallow/) [Shallow Ecology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shallow-ecology-4281794/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Strands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strands/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [Web of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/web-of-life/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“We seem to crave privilege, merited not by our works but by our birth, by the mere fact that, say, we are humans and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-seem-to-crave-privilege-merited-not-by-our-works-but-by-our-birth/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The basic pattern of life is a network. Whenever you see life, you see networks. The whole planet, what we can term 'Gaia' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/the-basic-pattern-of-life-is-a-network-whenever-you-see-life-you-see/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [ “Anthropocentric as \[the gardener\] may be, he recognizes that he is dependent for his health and survival on many other forms of life, so… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/anthropocentric-as-the-gardener-may-be-he-recognizes-that-he-is/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Once we lose our fear of being tiny, we find ourselves on the threshold of a vast and awesome Universe which dwarfs -- in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/once-we-lose-our-fear-of-being-tiny-we-find-ourselves-on-the/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The statistics of life out there and the statistics of intelligent beings and advanced civilization is a certainty, the way I look at it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/the-statistics-of-life-out-there-and-the-statistics-of-intelligent/) [Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/) > [“The deep ecologists warn us not to be anthropocentric, but I know no way to look at the world, settled or wild, except through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/the-deep-ecologists-warn-us-not-to-be-anthropocentric-but-i-know-no/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Above all, we must awaken to and overcome the great hidden anthropocentric projection that has virtually defined the modern mind: the pervasive projection of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-tarnas/above-all-we-must-awaken-to-and-overcome-the-great-hidden/) [Richard Tarnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-tarnas/) > [Experiments with animals have long been handicapped by our anthropocentric attitude: We often test them in ways that work fine with humans but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/experiments-with-animals-have-long-been-handicapped-by-our/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Almost all theological thought is anthropocentric and I just cannot buy into the anthropocentric ideology. Basically we're a bunch of conceited apes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/almost-all-theological-thought-is-anthropocentric-and-i-just-cannot/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [“The physicality enshrined by the neuroscientists as the measure of all things is not objectivity but instead a pure artifact of the scale at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/the-physicality-enshrined-by-the-neuroscientists-as-the-measure-of/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [To be anthropocentric is to remain unaware of the limits of human nature, the significance of biological processes underlying human behavior, and the deeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/to-be-anthropocentric-is-to-remain-unaware-of-the-limits-of-human/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Once we overcome our fear of being tiny, we find ourselves on the threshold of a vast and awesome Universe that utterly dwarfs —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/once-we-overcome-our-fear-of-being-tiny-we-find-ourselves-on-the/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [I take a biocentric point of view. I look at things from the point of view of the Earth and the laws of ecology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/i-take-a-biocentric-point-of-view-i-look-at-things-from-the-point-of/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [...the program of scientific experimentation that leads you to conclude that animals are imbeciles is profoundly anthropocentric. It values being able to find your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-program-of-scientific-experimentation-that-leads-you-to-conclude/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [We often speak of "deep ecology," but this is also Deep Eco-Psychology: how the environment can remind us of, and help mend, mental and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/we-often-speak-of-deep-ecology-but-this-is-also-deep-eco-psychology/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) ## More by Fritjof Capra > [If physics leads us today to a world view which is essentially mystical, it returns, in a way, to its beginning, 2,500 years ago.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/if-physics-leads-us-today-to-a-world-view-which-is-essentially/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [“The phenomenon of emergence takes place at critical points of instability that arise from fluctuations in the environment, amplified by feedback loops.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/the-phenomenon-of-emergence-takes-place-at-critical-points-of/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [Genuine mental health would involve a balanced interplay of both modes of experience, a way of life in which one's identification with the ego…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/genuine-mental-health-would-involve-a-balanced-interplay-of-both/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [Knowledge cannot be separated from a certain way of life which becomes its living manifestation. To acquire mystical knowledge means to undergo a transformation;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/knowledge-cannot-be-separated-from-a-certain-way-of-life-which/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [The term "paradigm," from the Greek paradeigma ("pattern"), was used by Kuhn to denote a conceptual framework shared by a community of scientists and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/the-term-paradigm-from-the-greek-paradeigma-pattern-was-used-by-kuhn/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [My main professional interest during the 1970s has been in the dramatic change of concepts and ideas that has occurred in physics during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/my-main-professional-interest-during-the-1970s-has-been-in-the/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [Ecology and spirituality are fundamentally connected, because deep ecological awareness, ultimately, is spiritual awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/ecology-and-spirituality-are-fundamentally-connected-because-deep/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [During periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights which give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/during-periods-of-relaxation-after-concentrated-intellectual-activity/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [As Eastern thought has begun to interest a significant number of people, and meditation is no longer viewed with ridicule or suspicion, mysticism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/as-eastern-thought-has-begun-to-interest-a-significant-number-of/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [As long as we do science, some things will always remain unexplained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/as-long-as-we-do-science-some-things-will-always-remain-unexplained/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [Modern physics had shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/modern-physics-had-shown-that-the-rhythm-of-creation-and-destruction/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [The elements of life are dynamic patterns of mass and energy, events rather than objects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/the-elements-of-life-are-dynamic-patterns-of-mass-and-energy-events/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [Subatomic particles do not exist but rather show 'tendencies to exist', and atomic events do not occur with certainty at definite times and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/subatomic-particles-do-not-exist-but-rather-show-tendencies-to-exist/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [In the end, the aggressors always destroy themselves, making way for others who know how to cooperate and get along. Life is much less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/in-the-end-the-aggressors-always-destroy-themselves-making-way-for/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [Whenever the essential nature of things is analysed by the intellect, it must seem absurd or paradoxical. This has always been recognized by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/whenever-the-essential-nature-of-things-is-analysed-by-the-intellect/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) [Explore all 66 Fritjof Capra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) ## More Collections quotes > [Life is a collection of moments. Mindfulness is beautification of the moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/life-is-a-collection-of-moments-mindfulness-is-beautification-of-the/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [Hercules used noise! Brass bells! He scared them away with the most horrible sound he could-" said Percy "Percy... Chiron's collection!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/hercules-used-noise-brass-bells-he-scared-them-away-with-the-most/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. I have to admit that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/mac-allowed-me-to-have-complete-freedom-on-the-collaborations-from/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [I took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I had never seen before,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-took-a-wrong-turn-on-the-way-to-the-bathroom-and-found-myself-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whatever we may say against collections, which present authors in a disjointed form, they nevertheless bring about many excellent results. We are not always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/whatever-we-may-say-against-collections-which-present-authors-in-a/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [This is an extraordinary illustrated collection of Chinese herbsaccompanied by concise and expert comments. Jing-Nuan Wu has succeeded incompiling this most unique and informative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koji-nakanishi/this-is-an-extraordinary-illustrated-collection-of-chinese/) [Koji Nakanishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koji-nakanishi/) > [I have a large watch collection, and classic watches are especially important to me. I had a silver Rolex, and I actually gave it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-have-a-large-watch-collection-and-classic-watches-are-especially/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [By calling it a memoir, I meant is as a collection of memories. I thought it was (a more) artful (title) than documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-merchant/by-calling-it-a-memoir-i-meant-is-as-a-collection-of-memories-i/) [Natalie Merchant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-merchant/) > [Who wrote the Bible? Current scholarship, to my knowledge, assumes that the material that constitutes the Old Testament was put together from various oral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/who-wrote-the-bible-current-scholarship-to-my-knowledge-assumes-that/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I've had plenty of jo-jobs. Nothing I'd call a career. Let me put it this way. I have an extensive collection of name tags…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-campbell/i-ve-had-plenty-of-jo-jobs-nothing-i-d-call-a-career-let-me-put-it/) [Wayne Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-campbell/) > [The benefit of writing a collection - as opposed to a novel - is that I'm able to have some version of the war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/the-benefit-of-writing-a-collection-as-opposed-to-a-novel-is-that-i-m/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [Museums do not share their collections with other museums unless they get something in exchange. The Metropolitan will deal with the Louvre, but will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/museums-do-not-share-their-collections-with-other-museums-unless-they/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [I didn't grow up in one of those restrictive Christian households where you couldn't do this or that. We were brought up with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-adams/i-didn-t-grow-up-in-one-of-those-restrictive-christian-households/) [Yolanda Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-adams/) > [People give me money and I don't know why, my real collection plate is an empty cup held by a homeless guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/people-give-me-money-and-i-don-t-know-why-my-real-collection-plate-is/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [A good collection is more than just the sum of its parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/a-good-collection-is-more-than-just-the-sum-of-its-parts/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) [Browse all 1,148 Collections quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collections/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the source of all value, and ascribes only instrumental, or 'use', value to nature. Deep ecology does not separate humans - or anything else - from the natural environment. It does see the world not as a collection of isolated objects but as a network of phenomena that are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent. Deep ecology recognizes the intrinsic value of all human beings and views humans as just one particular strand in the web of life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fritjof Capra" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-human-centred-it-views-humans/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Collections" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-human-centred-it-views-humans/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/fritjof-capra-10298_collections_shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-hu_1302397.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/fritjof-capra-10298_collections_shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-hu_1302397.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/fritjof-capra-10298_collections_shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-hu_1302397.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the…” — Fritjof Capra", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Fritjof Capra", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-human-centred-it-views-humans/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-human-centred-it-views-humans/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```