Chapter Synthesis

Values are the engine of action. Although economic valuations can, theoretically, attribute some measure of worth to all types of values, economic assessments often mistakenly assume that value should be based on human preference, need, or desire, rather than on moral obligation, ideal outcome, or the intrinsic worth of the object. Addressing this problem, Aldo Leopold wrote, "The 'key-log' which must be moved to release the evolutionary process for an ethic is simply this: quit thinking about decent land use as solely an economic problem. Examine each question in terms of what is ethically and esthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient" (Leopold 1966:262).

By affirming normative postulates of what constitutes "decent" and “right” in conservation and not merely what is "economically expedient," conservation biology inherently aligns itself with the philosophical position that biotic resources have intrinsic worth. Therefore, one of the fundamental problems of conservation biology is to determine the basis of intrinsic worth, make meaningful assessments of intrinsic value, and then promote policies and behaviors that reinforce such value.

Many different systems of secular ethics and religious belief show convergence upon common values at the core of conservation biology. But values in conservation are not fact-independent sentiments that are proved by assertion, nor are they to be used as tools to manipulate people of different convictions into doing what conservationists want. Values are subject to inspection and analysis, and must be rooted in sound philosophical and intellectual frameworks to be persuasive. In an increasingly global community, it is essential that conservation biologists appreciate the intellectual content and ethical context of expressions of values and their motivations in different individuals and cultures. Conservation biologists must treat these systems with intellectual integrity and respect, and continue to learn from such systems in ways that allow them to better understand, articulate, and practice their own values as conservation biologists. In the same way, conservation biologists must be prepared to change their own behavior as they become informed by traditions of values and ethics from different sources, and even be prepared to make intellectual commitments to particular systems of value. Commitment to an ethical system of values does not lead merely to greater self-understanding and ability to persuade others to take right action, but to becoming a person who has a firm disposition and character to always act for the best and highest good in conservation, an individual possessing a high degree of conservation virtue.

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