The Continuum of Philosophical Perspectives Anthropocentric: Where human interests are the measure of all things valuable. An example of this is the Judeo-Christian view that the earth is to be exploited as a resource to improve the standard of living of humans, with no need to conserve. Teleological (consequentialists): Teleo means "end or purpose". Acts are not right or wrong in and of themselves. They are right or wrong if they promote or frustrate the purpose of morality, namely, to bring about the greatest good over evil consequences. An example of this is the tendency of a tree to turn towards the sun. Sentientist: Valuing any entity with a conscience. Extending rights to all thinking creatures. This goes beyond the anthropogenic view to include animals. An example of this is the animal rights movement, in which "humane" must extend to the treatment of animals. Deontological (non-consequentialist): The belief that moral right and wrong are not determined solely by the relative balance of intrinsic good over intrinsic evil consequences. A sense of duty to maintain the integrity of something as a means to ensure that human dignity is upheld. An example of this is the desire to preserve a park as a moral obligation that in turn will protect the dignity of the community. Utilitarianism: Optimizing social utility to maximize the "good" in a given situation. Acts are right if they bring about the greatest possible balance of intrinsic good over intrinsic evil for everyone (human) concerned. An example of this is the use of a benefit-cost ratio to optimize the acceptance of "bad" with the benefit of "good". Ecocentric: Places extreme rights on the value of entire ecosystems. All decisions are based on what is best for the planet. The value of humans does not exceed that of other living or non-living natural entities. It emphasizes the "web of life" concept. An example of this is the belief that humans should not alter the environment in anyway that will harm it.