biocentrism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, academic, philosophical, scientific
Quick answer
What does “biocentrism” mean?
The ethical viewpoint that all living beings have inherent value and deserve moral consideration, placing life at the center of ethical concern.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The ethical viewpoint that all living beings have inherent value and deserve moral consideration, placing life at the center of ethical concern.
A philosophical perspective or worldview that regards all living organisms as the central focus of value in the universe, often in contrast to anthropocentrism which places humans at the center. It can also refer to related concepts in cosmology, as popularized by Robert Lanza, proposing that consciousness creates reality.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or pronunciation differences. The ethical sense is more consistently used in British academic writing. The cosmological sense, popularised by American biologist Robert Lanza, is more frequently cited in US popular science contexts.
Connotations
In both varieties, the term carries connotations of environmental ethics, deep ecology, and a challenge to human exceptionalism. In popular science contexts (primarily US), it may also carry connotations of speculative or fringe science.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general usage. Higher frequency in academic journals related to environmental ethics, philosophy, and certain interdisciplinary studies. The cosmological sense is almost exclusively found in popular science media and related debates.
Grammar
How to Use “biocentrism” in a Sentence
[Be verb] + rooted in biocentrism[Verb: advocate, reject, embrace, critique] + biocentrismBiocentrism + [verb: posits, argues, holds] + (that) clauseVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “biocentrism” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The new policy aims to biocentrise our approach to land management.
- (Rare/neologistic)
American English
- The theory seeks to biocentrize our understanding of physics.
- (Rare/neologistic)
adverb
British English
- He argued biocentrically for the preservation of the wetland.
- (Very rare)
American English
- The law was interpreted more biocentrically after the ruling.
- (Very rare)
adjective
British English
- She holds a biocentric worldview that grants rights to ecosystems.
- The biocentric argument was central to the paper.
American English
- His biocentric perspective challenges factory farming.
- The book presents a biocentric alternative to traditional ethics.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. Might appear in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) reports discussing radical environmental ethics, but this is extremely rare.
Academic
Primary context. Used in philosophy (ethics, environmental philosophy), biology, environmental studies, and interdisciplinary humanities journals.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would only be used by individuals with specific academic or activist backgrounds in environmental issues.
Technical
Used as a technical term in environmental ethics and philosophy. The cosmological sense is used in popular science writing but is not mainstream in technical physics literature.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “biocentrism”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “biocentrism”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “biocentrism”
- Mispronunciation: stressing the first syllable (*BAI-oh-sen-trism*) instead of the third (/ˌbaɪoʊˈsɛntrɪzəm/).
- Confusing the ethical and cosmological meanings.
- Using it as a synonym for general 'environmentalism' or 'ecology', which are broader and not necessarily life-centric in the philosophical sense.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Biocentrism grants inherent value to individual living organisms. Ecocentrism grants inherent value to entire ecological systems (like species, ecosystems, or the biosphere as a whole), which may involve sacrificing individual organisms for systemic health.
It is neither. It is primarily a philosophical/ethical stance or worldview. The cosmological version proposed by Robert Lanza is a scientific hypothesis, but it is not part of mainstream science and is considered speculative by most physicists.
Yes, a human can adopt a biocentric ethical viewpoint, arguing that their own interests do not automatically trump the interests of other living beings. It requires extending moral consideration beyond the human species.
In its strongest ethical form, yes. A strict biocentric ethic would argue that all living things, including plants, have intrinsic value and a 'good' of their own that deserves moral consideration, though what this means in practice is heavily debated.
The ethical viewpoint that all living beings have inherent value and deserve moral consideration, placing life at the center of ethical concern.
Biocentrism is usually formal, academic, philosophical, scientific in register.
Biocentrism: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbaɪəʊˈsɛntrɪz(ə)m/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbaɪoʊˈsɛntrɪzəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None - term is technical and not used idiomatically]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BIOlogical CENTRE: BIO-CENTR-ISM. It puts all life (bio) at the centre (centr) of its belief system (ism).
Conceptual Metaphor
THE UNIVERSE IS A LIVING ORGANISM (cosmological sense); MORALITY IS A CIRCLE THAT INCLUDES ALL LIFE (ethical sense).
Practice
Quiz
Biocentrism is most directly opposed to which of the following concepts?