Declaration of Secular Biocentric Ethics

Preamble

We affirm that life is the common denominator of existence on Earth. All living beings, human and nonhuman, are products of the same evolutionary processes, participants in the same ecological systems, and possess their own intrinsic goals, needs, and flourishing. We reject the idea that value derives from divine decree or human supremacy. Instead, we ground ethics in the recognition that every living being has its own worth, independent of its utility to humans.

Core Principles

1. Intrinsic Value of Life
   Every living organism, from the simplest microbe to the most complex mammal, has value in itself, apart from its usefulness to others.

2. Equality of Moral Consideration
   Humans are not the center of moral concern but part of a community of life. All organisms deserve moral regard proportional to their capacities and ecological roles.

3. Respect for Autonomy of Living Beings
   Each organism is a self-organizing, goal-directed entity pursuing its own good. To respect life is to respect its freedom to pursue its own course.

4. Ecological Interdependence
   All beings exist within ecosystems and webs of interdependence. Moral decisions must consider not just individuals, but the health of entire ecological systems.

5. Non-Theological Grounding
   Ethics requires no appeal to gods, revelation, or the supernatural. It is grounded in observable reality: biology, evolution, ecology, and the shared condition of mortality.

6. Responsibility of Power
   Humans, as uniquely capable of conscious reflection and large-scale impact, bear special responsibility to use their power with restraint, humility, and justice toward all life.

7. Opposition to Exploitation
   Practices that treat living beings as mere resources — reducing them only to economic or utilitarian terms — are ethically deficient. Ethical progress means replacing domination with stewardship and respect.

8. Plural Paths of Value
   Value is not singularly human-defined. The flourishing of a coral reef, the migration of birds, the growth of forests — all are forms of good in themselves.

9. Justice Across Species
   Ethical concern extends beyond national, racial, or human boundaries. To work for justice includes working for the flourishing of nonhuman life and the protection of biodiversity.

10. Future Generations of Life
    Moral responsibility includes preserving conditions that allow future generations — human and nonhuman — to live and thrive. Extinction, when caused needlessly by human hands, is a moral wrong.

Priority Principles for Resolving Conflicts

Recognizing that conflicts may arise between the interests of different organisms, including humans, the following priority principles provide a structured, secular framework for resolution. These principles ensure decisions align with the intrinsic value and equality of all life, minimizing harm while respecting ecological interdependence. They are grounded in rational assessment of needs, empirical evidence from biology and ecology, and pragmatic ethical reasoning, without reliance on supernatural authority.

1. Principle of Self-Defense
   
   Moral agents may defend themselves or others from imminent harm posed by living beings, prioritizing survival without negating the inherent worth of the aggressor. For example, repelling a dangerous animal or controlling invasive species to protect ecosystems is permissible when necessary for immediate safety.
   
   

2. Principle of Proportionality
   
   Basic interests (e.g., survival, health, and reproduction) of any organism outweigh non-basic interests (e.g., aesthetic preferences or economic gains), regardless of species. This ensures that fundamental needs are prioritized, clarifying “proportional” regard in Core Principle 2 by focusing on the essentiality of interests rather than creating hierarchies.
   
   

3. Principle of Minimum Wrong
   
   In unavoidable conflicts, choose actions that inflict the least possible harm to the biotic community. This requires evaluating alternatives based on empirical impacts, such as selecting sustainable practices that affect fewer organisms or allow for ecosystem recovery, thereby addressing “needless” harm in Core Principle 10.
   
   

4. Principle of Distributive Justice
   
   Benefits and burdens must be distributed fairly across the community of life, considering ecological roles and vulnerabilities. For instance, resource allocation should avoid disproportionate impacts on endangered species, promoting equity in line with Core Principles 4 and 9.
   
   

5. Principle of Restitutive Justice
   
   When harm is inflicted, even justifiably, make efforts to restore or compensate affected organisms or ecosystems. This could include habitat rehabilitation or biodiversity enhancement, reinforcing human responsibility (Core Principle 6) and opposition to exploitation (Core Principle 7).

These principles are applied hierarchically: Self-defense takes precedence, followed by proportionality, and so on, with decisions informed by scientific data and ethical deliberation to maintain consistency with the manifesto’s biocentric and secular foundations.

Conclusion

We stand for a worldview that regards humanity not as masters of life, but as one strand in the vast web of being. In embracing a secular, biocentric ethic, we affirm the dignity of all life and commit ourselves to the flourishing of the whole community of Earth.