Natural Value: From Aldo Leopold To Holmes Rolston Ⅲ

The relationship between man and nature is the most basic questions, which human beings are facing and must be addressed. Today, with the scientific and technological progress, industrial advances, mankind material has reached unprecedented prosperity, While , at the same time emerging global ecological crisis and environmental problems are a serious threat to human survival and development. This forces people to rethink the questions which are made up of the relationship between man and nature, people at the location and role in nature and our acts in nature, etc. The result is bound to go to discuss the questions which are the natural value and human morals in nature. Among them, Leopold and Rolston's natural values appear to be particularly prominent.In the modern study of environmental ethics, the in-depth elucidation of natural value is started by Leopold. Although he did not explicitly put forward the concept of natural value, his unique understanding of the natural value can be clearly reflect in his brief, unfamiliar and radical Land ethic thoughts. In Leopold's early period, he was impacted by Pinchot's protectionism value ,he only Admitted the natural external value and denied its intrinsic value ; At the later period , with the deepening practicing and the enlightenment of ecological thought, he got to know that natures which are means to achieve the interests of humanity not only have instrument values , but also has intrinsic value, Based on the inheritance and development of the Leopold's natural values , Rolston put forward the natural value whose core was intrinsic value of nature. As a heavy bomb in the field of environmental ethics, it caused a huge shock in the academic world and a strong sense of social repercussions , at the same time ,it also became the subject of academic study and the focus of debate. Precisely because of this, I believe that the thinking and discussion of Leopold's natural values and its relationship with Rolston's natural values is particularly necessary.This article is for such purpose, I hope to be able to make my own small slightly at the study of these issues. This article is composed of four parts. The first part mainly defines several important concepts such as natural, land, wilderness and values, in order to construct a relatively specific premise and the scope of discussion. The second part analyses the reasons of Leopold's natural values put forward, the theoretical system and the challenge faced and the defense .the third part describes the inheritance, development, and beyond of Ralston over Leopold natural values. The fourth Part is a review.