Distinct but inseparable: process philosophy and the attribution of individual value in a holistic environmental ethic

One of the most contentious topics in contemporary environmental philosophy is whether an effective environmental ethic should be holistic or individualistic in scope. It is my opinion that this debate is misguided in that both forms of value should be respected if contemporary environmental ethics is to succeed in adhering to an ecological worldview as well as to the concerns of human culture. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to argue for individual value within an environmental ethic, which maintains ecological credibility. In the process, I will consider whether Alfred North Whiteheads process philosophy is a viable philosophical candidate to contribute to such an approach. In brief, while criticizing certain aspects of Whiteheads thought, I will use process categories to argue that the worlds ecosystems are the source of all life and, therefore, that all individual value is necessarily related to the interconnected wholes of which they are inextricably a part.