Antinaturalism (politics)
Encyclopedia
As a political movement
in France
, antinaturalism is closely linked to the animal welfare
movement; some antinaturalists posit that any reference to Natural law
, such as the reintroduction of wolf predators into a forest to curb deer
overpopulation
, is a form of speciesism
, and encourage veganism
in human beings as well as in predator animals, as a way of showing equal respect to the lives of prey as to the lives of predators.
and gay liberation
movements, in part a reaction against religious fundamentalists
who justify male subjugation of women, social exclusion of homosexuality
, and the primacy of a gender binary
featuring patriarchal men, maternal women, and no room for weakness or disability
, as expressions of Natural law
.
, body modification
, divorce
, contraception
, sex reassignment surgery
, and other means by which they believe human beings can assume control of their own bodies and their own environments (see also transhumanism
). Antinaturalism stands in contrast to some radical environmentalist movements, which state that Nature
itself is sacred, and should be preserved for its own sake; antinaturalism posits that all human acts are natural, and that ecological preservation is important inasmuch as it is necessary for the well-being of sentient life, not because of some inherently sacred attribute of Nature as a whole.
Political movement
A political movement is a social movement in the area of politics. A political movement may be organized around a single issue or set of issues, or around a set of shared concerns of a social group...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, antinaturalism is closely linked to the animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
movement; some antinaturalists posit that any reference to Natural law
Natural law
Natural law, or the law of nature , is any system of law which is purportedly determined by nature, and thus universal. Classically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature and deduce binding rules of moral behavior. Natural law is contrasted with the positive law Natural...
, such as the reintroduction of wolf predators into a forest to curb deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
, is a form of speciesism
Speciesism
Speciesism is the assigning of different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership. The term was created by British psychologist Richard D...
, and encourage veganism
Veganism
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
in human beings as well as in predator animals, as a way of showing equal respect to the lives of prey as to the lives of predators.
Affinities
Antinaturalism is also closely linked to anti-sexistGender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
and gay liberation
Gay Liberation
Gay liberation is the name used to describe the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement of the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s in North America, Western Europe, and Australia and New Zealand...
movements, in part a reaction against religious fundamentalists
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
who justify male subjugation of women, social exclusion of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, and the primacy of a gender binary
Gender binary
The gender binary is the classification of sex and gender into two distinct and disconnected forms of masculine and feminine. It is one general type of a gender system. It can describe a social boundary that discourages people from crossing or mixing gender roles, or from creating other third ...
featuring patriarchal men, maternal women, and no room for weakness or disability
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
, as expressions of Natural law
Natural law
Natural law, or the law of nature , is any system of law which is purportedly determined by nature, and thus universal. Classically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature and deduce binding rules of moral behavior. Natural law is contrasted with the positive law Natural...
.
Philosophy
Some French antinaturalists defend the inherent and absolute moral permissibility of abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, body modification
Body modification
Body modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, religious reasons, to display group membership or affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression...
, divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, contraception
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
, sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
, and other means by which they believe human beings can assume control of their own bodies and their own environments (see also transhumanism
Transhumanism
Transhumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
). Antinaturalism stands in contrast to some radical environmentalist movements, which state that Nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
itself is sacred, and should be preserved for its own sake; antinaturalism posits that all human acts are natural, and that ecological preservation is important inasmuch as it is necessary for the well-being of sentient life, not because of some inherently sacred attribute of Nature as a whole.