Scientific Development Research

Environmental ethics is an academic field that examines the ethical principles, norms, and value systems governing the relationship between humans and nature, with its core focus on constructing a value theory grounded in this relationship. This paper elucidates the metaphysical foundations of Emerson’s transcendentalist view of nature and its embedded environmental ethics in the 19th century, while also incorporating key perspectives from representative Western environmental ethicists, particularly those in the United States. It further explores and analyzes the contemporary relevance of the incipient environmental ethical thought within Emerson’s transcendentalist framework. The study reveals that Emerson’s philosophy emphasizes the intrinsic unity between humans and nature, advocating for the construction of a community of shared life characterized by mutual nourishment and symbiosis. This holds significant theoretical and practical value for deepening contemporary environmental ethics research, promoting the preservation of natural ecosystems, reconstructing harmonious human-nature relations, advancing environmental conservation practices, and fostering the development of ecological civilization.

Emerson; Transcendentalism; Nature; Environmental ethics