Environmental Ethics, Animal Welfarism, and the Problem of Predation: A Bambi Lover's Respect For Nature

However, a 1994 article by Ned Hettinger focused needed scrutiny on one of the remaining tensions between "bambi lovers" and "tree huggers": whether and how to value wild predation.Because of its emphasis on the prevention of animal suffering, some environmental philosophers criticize animal welfarism as, at best, falling short of the appreciation of predation that any adequate environmental ethic must exhibit.At worst, it is claimed to entail an obligation on the part of moral agents to intervene in predation in order to prevent animal suffering.With this paper, I wish to add my voice to a growing chorus of "bambi lovers" who also hug trees by disputing both of these charges.