Biophilia: The Ethics, Politics, and Aesthetics of Love for the Living World

Biophilia refers to humans’ love of nature and the living world generally. The Mississippi Philosophical Association invites scholars to explore the ethical, political, and aesthetic questions related to this theme in a two-day conference at Mississippi State University, February 12th and 13th, 2026. Two keynote speeches shall be delivered by Paula Casal and Andrew Williams.

E.O. Wilson defines biophilia as an evolutionarily developed tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes; an innate human desire to affiliate with other forms of life, including plants and animals. We invite scholars to engage with this definition of biophilia as well as a broader understanding of the concept. Papers need not assume that all humans are biophilic. In fact, the apparent diversity in biophilic feelings across society (the presence or absence of such values, varying levels of biophilia, and love for different natural entities) is of interest in political philosophy. Should the government tolerate a reasonable amount of pluralism in citizens’ appreciation of nature (or lack thereof)? How might fair terms of social cooperation be drawn up between biophilic and non-biophilic citizens?

Ideas for presentations include but are not limited to:

Ethics: Is life the source of moral value? What is the moral status of the abiotic components of nature? How should “relational values” feature in Environmental Ethics? What is the proper unit of moral concern for nature: individual animals, ecosystems, or life itself? Should the natural (red in tooth in claw) be supplanted by the just?

Politics: Should the state attempt to inculcate an appreciation of nature in its citizenry? Could biophilia be considered a civic virtue? What are the implications of love for nature and specific natural entities for distributive justice? Should states recognize eco-sovereignty claims? Attachment-based claims?

Aesthetics: Is there a connection between aesthetic value and life? Is the current fascination with robots and A.I. an expression of necrophilia, or perhaps a perverted form of biophilia? What did Kant mean when he said that the ‘feeling of life’ is fundamental to our perception of beauty? Could there be beauty in a dead world?

Please email an anonymized abstract of around 500 words to Susan Erck (serck [at] philrel [dot] msstate [dot] edu) no later than September 1st, 2026.

The MPA Student Presentation Prize:The winner will receive a cash prize of $250. If you are a student and wish to be considered for this prize, please indicate so in your application email.