Endangered Species (Russow)

Questions: Do we have more moral reason to preserve members of rare species than members of flourishing species? If so, what is the reason?

The Stewardship View: We have more reason to preserve members of rare species because we are “stewards” of the earth.

The Instrumental Value View: We have more reason to preserve members of rare species because they are more useful to us or to other creatures or ecosystems.

The Intrinsic Value View (first version): We have more reason to preserve members of rare species because species themselves have intrinsic value over and above the intrinsic values of the members of the species; thus preserving a species preserves not only the intrinsic value of the individuals, but of the species.

The Intrinsic Value View (second version): We have more reason to preserve members of rare species because the members of an endangered species are themselves more intrinsically valuable than members of a flourishing species.

The Aesthetic Value View: We have more reason to preserve members of rare species because preserving the members of a rare species enables people to have valuable aesthetic experiences of the members of the species that they could not otherwise have. (People could have valuable experiences of flourishing species even if some of its members are killed.)

The Biodiversity View: We have more reason to preserve members of rare species because doing so results in a greater degree of biological diversity, and biological diversity is intrinsically good.