It is obvious that the concept of sustainable development was traditionally thought in an anthropocentric framework. My aim in this paper is to challenge this traditional view and to try to offer some arguments for an attempt to incorporate into the theory of sustainable development, some strong environmentalist principles which are based on a biocentric perspective. The structure and the content of my argument run as follows: First of all, we may equally speak about respect for human beings and nature if we agree that we have the duty to respect human beings. Second, all living beings have to be considered from a moral standpoint because they have their own interests and dignity. Third, the environment as an ecosystem with its own equilibrium and diversity has also the status of a heritage. Therefore, the duty to preserve the nature as a patrimonial value becomes a part of our culture. The so-called Biocultural Ethics developed initially by Paul Taylor is an adequate philosophical framework in which we can talk about nature, wildlife and human practices, as a common heritage of our communities.
Key words: biocultural ethics, biotic community, sustainability, homogenization, Paul Taylor.
