Ethics in the Life Sciences – Expert reports by the DRZE; Volume 5
Dirk Lanzerath / Jens Mutke / Wilhelm Barthlott / Stefan Baumgärtner / Christian Becker / Tade M. Spranger

Published by the DRZE – German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences
under the responsibility of Dieter Sturma and Dirk Lanzerath

The term "biodiversity", in the German language often summed up as "diversity of species", indicates the diversity of genes, species and habitats in general. Meanwhile their conservation is listed in numerous international biopolitical regulations. Anyhow, the conservation of biodiversity and with it the value which is attributed to nature is based on many different varied individual perspectives.

In the first part it is explored what biodiversity means from biological angles and to what extent it is threatened und worthy of protection. In the following economic chapter the discussion on the economic benefit of biological diversity is presented. Subject matter in the jurisprudential paragraph is the corresponding regulations in individual countries as well as international conventions and under international law regulations protecting biodiversity. In closing natural philosophical and ethical criteria which speak in favour of the acknowledgement of the biological diversity as an independent property are discussed.

DOI: 10.23769/vka-2020-48227   open access

ISBN: 978-3-495-48227-8

Publisher: Verlag Karl Alber, Freiburg

Year of publication: 2008

Pages: 218

Language: German

The paperback is out of print.