biocentrism

[ bahy-oh-sen-triz-uhm ]

noun

1. the view or principle that all life forms have inherent value and significance, and should therefore be given serious consideration in determining the moral or ethical value of a course of action. Compare anthropocentrism ( def ).
2. a cosmological theory that regards conscious, organic observers as the basis rather than the by-product of the universe, holding that their biological patterns of perception and information processing effectively determine the universe’s space-time structure and its key physical constants. Compare anthropocentrism ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of biocentrism¹

First recorded in 1930–35; biocentr(ic) ( def ) + -ism ( def )

Example Sentences

While their perspective is different from biocentrism, they provide pathways to explore the interaction between life, environment and the universe, and the relationship between life and consciousness.

From Scientific American