Naess Journal Article Review
Journal Article Review – In Defence of the Deep Ecology Movement
(Arne D. E. Naess, 1984)
The purpose of this review is to examine and critically analyse the 1984 paper entitled ‘A Defence of the Deep Ecology Movement’, written by the late prominent Norwegian professor and philosopher Arne D. E. Naess. Before proceeding any further it is important to understand the context in which the paper is written.
Although initially known for his work in the field of linguistics and language interpretation, Naess became inherently linked to the deep ecology movement, (DEM hereafter) and was widely regarded as the movement’s founder in the early 1970s (Grimes, 2009). George Sessions (1987) professed he ‘defined the deep ecology movement into existence’. Environmentalism as a phenomenon really took off at this time, and Naess’ deep ecology, as a result of this, or perhaps having caused this, became increasingly popular. His DEM differentiated itself from mainstream environmentalist movements due predominantly to the strong ethical philosophy that Naess had embedded into it, and set it apart as a hardcore version of many ecology doctrines of the time. The theory challenged many such doctrines that claimed environmental problems could be resolved within an industrial capitalist framework (Shwarz, 2009). The paper in question will now be assessed, and in doing so the spirit of Naess’ DEM will be brought under the spotlight.
In the article Naess intends to accomplish two primary goals. The first is to challenge Richard A. Watson’s assessment of the DEM, in particular focussing on Watson’s paper ‘A Critique of Anti-Anthropocentric Biocentrism’, which he sees as containing ambiguities and being based on incorrectly drawn conclusions. The second of these aims is to dispel certain false preconceptions of the movement and its related philosophy, and to clarify the viewpoint of the DEM, as far as Naess envisions it.
Throughout the paper Naess portrays Watson’s argument as
(Arne D. E. Naess, 1984)
The purpose of this review is to examine and critically analyse the 1984 paper entitled ‘A Defence of the Deep Ecology Movement’, written by the late prominent Norwegian professor and philosopher Arne D. E. Naess. Before proceeding any further it is important to understand the context in which the paper is written.
Although initially known for his work in the field of linguistics and language interpretation, Naess became inherently linked to the deep ecology movement, (DEM hereafter) and was widely regarded as the movement’s founder in the early 1970s (Grimes, 2009). George Sessions (1987) professed he ‘defined the deep ecology movement into existence’. Environmentalism as a phenomenon really took off at this time, and Naess’ deep ecology, as a result of this, or perhaps having caused this, became increasingly popular. His DEM differentiated itself from mainstream environmentalist movements due predominantly to the strong ethical philosophy that Naess had embedded into it, and set it apart as a hardcore version of many ecology doctrines of the time. The theory challenged many such doctrines that claimed environmental problems could be resolved within an industrial capitalist framework (Shwarz, 2009). The paper in question will now be assessed, and in doing so the spirit of Naess’ DEM will be brought under the spotlight.
In the article Naess intends to accomplish two primary goals. The first is to challenge Richard A. Watson’s assessment of the DEM, in particular focussing on Watson’s paper ‘A Critique of Anti-Anthropocentric Biocentrism’, which he sees as containing ambiguities and being based on incorrectly drawn conclusions. The second of these aims is to dispel certain false preconceptions of the movement and its related philosophy, and to clarify the viewpoint of the DEM, as far as Naess envisions it.
Throughout the paper Naess portrays Watson’s argument as
References: Grimes, W. (Jan 2009) ‘Arne Naess, Norwegian Philosopher, Dies at 96’. The New York Times, [Online], Available: [accessed 26th Nov 2011] Naess, A. (1973) ‘The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movements: A Summary’, Inquiry, no. 1 Naess, A. (1984) ‘A Defence of the Deep Ecology Movement’, Environmental Ethics, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 265-270 Shwarz, W. (Jan 2009) ‘Arne Naess’, The Guardian, [Online], Available: [accessed 25th Nov 2011] Sessions, G. (Summer 1987) ‘The Deep Ecology Movement: A Review’, Environmental Review: ER, vol. 11, no. 2, Forest History Society and American Society for Environmental History, pp. 105-125 Watson, R. A. (1983) ‘A Critique of Anti-Anthropocentric Biocentrism’, Environmental Ethics, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 245-256