Abstract

In comparison with other living species, humankind seems to be unique in many respects. Cultural, technological and scientific development of humankind in the last couple of millennia supports this point of view. Looking at the issue from another perspective though, human aspirations and ambitions have led to the reduction of a considerable number of the products of millions of years of evolution. The miracle of life, the great variety of living forms is presently explained either with the help of the theory of evolution or with the activity of the supernatural forces. However, the idea of the dominance of humankind over vegetation and the animal world has led mankind to the point where the biosphere is being degraded and where people constantly compete for the access to natural resources. Such behaviour causes mankind to spread quickly by raising its number, taking over vast areas of new land, controlling new ecosystems, producing food in large quantities and consequently resulting in a more positive feedback an becoming even bigger in number. The aggressive approach towards the natural resources results in a deterioration of the number and conditions of the living species, alteration of natural ecosystems, and various kinds of local and global biotic factors. It seems tat a complete shift from the anthropocentric approach to environ menttowards the more biocenlric one will limit or even stop the continuous exploitation of the Earth’s resources.The only way to preserve the species that have not become extinct yet is to learn the rules of their co-existence, and create favourable environment for living and breeding to them. The basis of biocentrism thus is to make people aware of their inseparable bound with nature and the living world of animals and plants, to educate and provide financial, political and ecological help to the countries where the problem of the exploitation of natural resources is a matter of the survival of the nation.