“This book delves deep into the numerous philosophical perspectives that man should keep his relationship with the entire ecosystem vibrant. It thus deliberates on man’s treatment to animals from a multidimensional framework as a food choice, fun and sports, and also his unbridled consumption of natural resources. Animals deserve a sympathetic and compassionate treatment from man and they should enjoy certain rights and privileges which man cannot supersede. Man should show empathy to the animal life. Animals indeed deserve freedom and liberation from the tyranny of man, especially from the West’s philosophy of the Biblical attestation of “man is the crown of creation” and therefore he enjoys absolute right over the animal kingdom.
It also discusses the history of human anthropo-centric culture, environmental philosophy of the East and West, and introduces the myriad topics relevant to environmental ethics like deep ecology, social ecology, ecofeminism, biocentrism, shallow environmentalism and the theory of universal consideration. It further calls for the need to conceptualize man in a wider cosmic-ecological perspective, and expects a paradigm shift from anthropomorphic instrumentalism to non-anthropocentric ethical posture, for him to have ultimate freedom and happiness. It also suggests a philosophical counter-revolution.
The book should initiate man, it is hoped, in the art of making self-enquiry, reminding him that non-human living organisms and the environment per se do play a pivotal role in sustaining his life on this planet.”