Founding Philosophers

• Arne Naess "father of deep ecology"
• Norwegian professor of philosophy and rock climber  
• Influenced by the works of Baruch Spinoza and Gandhi
• 1973 as the founding date for deep ecology
• Dave Forman
• American founder of Earth First! a radical environmental activist group
• Believed that action (often drastic) needed to be taken to prevent actions that damage the environment
• Wrote EcoDefence: A Practical Guide to Monkeywrenching
• Inspiration for today's more radical Earth Liberation Front
• Implicated in the burning of homes, ski lodges, car dealerships
• Uses a cell structure like terrorist organizations of the 1960's/70's
• George Sessions
• Perhaps the most articulate voice of deep ecology
• Professor of Philosophy
• Edward Abbey  
• Literary voice of deep ecology. Embodied the anarchist strand of the movement
• Wrote Desert Solitaire and The Monkeywrench Gang 

Core Philosophies of Deep Ecology 

• We must shift from anthropocentrism (human-centeredness) to biocentrism or eco-centrism 
• Humans should stop seeing themselves as the pinnacle of evolution, the center of the universe, and start seeing themselves as the pinnacle of evolution, the center of the universe, and start seeing themselves as part of the web of life. All strands are interconnected are intrinsically valuable.
• We must avoid the tendency towards centralization -- politically, industrially, and socially.
• Industry has a totalizing influence on humans, destroying their sense of self and their connection to natural world
• A better model would be based on bio-regionalism. Small, city-state communities that are based on environmentally harmonious principles.
• End Dualism that says that nature is "out there" and that human nature is "in here." We are connected to, inseparable from, and dependent on nature. The best goal for humans would be to connect emotionally, rationally, spiritually, and physically with nature.
• We must end our reliance on affluence and growth.

Philosophical Roots of Deep Ecology

• Eastern philosophy -- Tao and Buddhism
• Native American Spirituality
• Gnostic Christianity
• Thoreau, Leopold, Muir, ect.