UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Environmental ethics deals with questions about how humans ought to relate to nature. It explores whether non human entities have moral standing and what responsibilities we have to future generations. This field informs debates on conservation,development and animal rights. Hence the definition in the question matches environmental ethics.

Option A:
Business ethics examines moral issues in the world of commerce,such as fairness,honesty and corporate responsibility. While it may touch on environmental issues,it is not primarily about human nature relationships. Therefore it is not the correct answer.

Option B:
Bioethics addresses ethical questions in medicine and life sciences,including topics like clinical trials,organ transplantation and genetic engineering. Its main focus is on human health and biomedical research. Thus it differs from the broader nature centred concerns in the stem.

Option C:
Environmental ethics specifically investigates the moral dimensions of pollution,biodiversity loss and resource use. It challenges purely anthropocentric views and considers ecocentric or biocentric perspectives. This focus matches the description in the question.

Option D:
Social ethics concerns justice,rights and responsibilities within human societies. Although environmental issues have social implications,social ethics alone does not concentrate on duties toward the natural world. Therefore it is not the best term here.

An anthropocentric worldview regards humans as the most significant entities and evaluates nature mainly in terms of its usefulness to people. Environmental decisions are made primarily on the basis of human interests and benefits. The stem explicitly mentions treating nature as a resource for human use and placing humans at the centre,which is the hallmark of anthropocentrism. Hence Option D is correct.

Option A:
Ecocentric gives intrinsic value to ecosystems and nature,not primarily human-centered usefulness.

Option B:
Biocentric extends moral concern to all living beings,not just humans.

Option C:
Holistic stresses interconnections rather than placing humans at the center of value.

Option D:
Anthropocentric explicitly centers humans and treats nature chiefly as a resource for human use,matching the stem.

Statements A, B, C and E are correct because they describe key ethical positions and the idea that some natural capital is non-substitutable, which underpins strong sustainability. Statement D is false since inter-generational equity is a central ethical concern about obligations to future generations. Statement F is false because ethical debates have shaped environmental principles, rights and legal frameworks. Thus, the combination including A, B, C and E and excluding D and F is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect as it omits E and therefore ignores strong sustainability, which is an important link between ethics and resource economics in this unit.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes F, which denies the influence of ethics on law and policy, even though many legal principles arise from ethical arguments about rights and duties.

Option C:
Option C is correct since it integrates different strands of environmental ethics and their implications for non-substitutability and inter-generational concerns, while rejecting statements that suggest ethics are irrelevant.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it includes D, which dismisses the relevance of ethics for inter-generational equity, and omits A, thereby losing the concept of anthropocentric but conservation-supporting reasoning.

Statements D and F are wrong because they deny the central role of ethics and rights in environmental decisions. D ignores that many environmental choices involve moral judgments beyond simple economic calculations. F is incorrect because rights-based conservation approaches show that recognising marginalised groups’ rights can support long-term stewardship. Statements A, B, C and E correctly explain equity notions, justice concerns and indigenous ethical perspectives. Hence, the wrong statements together are D and F only.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it picks exactly D and F, the two statements that conflict with contemporary thinking on environmental ethics and justice. It implicitly validates A, B, C and E as accurate descriptions of key ethical ideas used in policy debates and activism.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it singles out only D as wrong and overlooks F, which also seriously misrepresents the relationship between rights and conservation. By failing to include F, it underestimates the importance of rights-based approaches.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it treats only F as wrong and ignores D. While F is indeed incorrect, D is equally problematic in suggesting ethics have no place in decision-making, so this option does not fully respond to the question.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it groups C, D and F as wrong, even though C correctly characterises the focus of environmental justice. Including C among wrong statements contradicts the accepted definition of that concept.

Statements C and D are wrong. Environmental justice is centrally concerned with fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens, not solely species conservation, and ethical considerations are very relevant for policy decisions on who bears costs and who receives benefits. Statements A and B correctly distinguish anthropocentric and ecocentric perspectives. Hence, the correct option is the one that identifies C and D together as wrong.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it groups exactly the two statements that misrepresent environmental ethics and justice, while leaving A and B recognised as accurate descriptions of ethical positions. It aligns with the conceptual treatment of ethics in People, Development and Environment.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it isolates C only and ignores D, even though D is also clearly wrong in claiming ethics are irrelevant to policy-making.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it treats B, C and D as wrong. B is actually correct, since ecocentric views extend intrinsic value to ecosystems and non-human beings. Misclassifying B undermines understanding of ethical frameworks.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it marks A, C and D as wrong. A is a valid characterisation of anthropocentric ethics, so including it among wrong statements is unjustified.

Ecofeminism highlights how the same structures that dominate and exploit nature also marginalise women, arguing that gender justice and ecological sustainability are interconnected.

Option A:
Incorrect; ecofeminism values the knowledge and experiences of women and communities and does not restrict environmental debates to scientists.

Option B:
Incorrect; ecofeminism does not blame women for environmental degradation; instead it critiques power relations that shape resource use.

Option C:
Correct; it captures the core ecofeminist idea of linked oppression of women and nature and the role of women’s empowerment in environmental protection.

Option D:
Incorrect; gender is an important lens because men and women often have different roles, responsibilities and vulnerabilities in relation to the environment.

Ecocentrism holds that ecosystems, species and natural processes have value in their own right, independent of human interests. It argues for moral consideration of the entire ecological community. The stem’s emphasis on intrinsic value of non human nature aligns precisely with this stance,so ecocentrism is the correct term.

Option A:
Anthropocentrism places humans at the centre of moral concern, valuing nature primarily for its utility to people. This is the opposite of the position described in the question,so it cannot be correct.

Option B:
Technocentrism emphasises technological innovation and human ingenuity as solutions to environmental problems. It does not necessarily grant intrinsic value to ecosystems; instead it often views nature instrumentally.

Option C:
Ecocentrism expands the moral community beyond humans to include all living beings and ecological systems. It underpins many deep ecology and conservation philosophies. This broader valuation reflects exactly what the stem describes.

Option D:
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that seeks the greatest good for the greatest number, usually focusing on human welfare. While it can be extended to non humans, it is not inherently about intrinsic value of ecosystems.

Intergenerational equity holds that present development should not compromise the ability of future generations to access resources and enjoy a healthy environment.

Option A:
Incorrect, because prioritising present economic growth at any cost can deplete resources and degrade ecosystems for future people.

Option B:
Correct, as it directly expresses fairness between current and future generations in terms of resources and environmental quality.

Option C:
Incorrect, since military strength is not the central concern of intergenerational equity.

Option D:
Incorrect, because exhausting non-renewable resources now would severely restrict future generations, violating this principle.

Environmental ethics expands the circle of moral concern beyond present human interests. It argues that future generations, other species and ecosystems have intrinsic or at least significant moral value. Development choices should therefore respect ecological integrity and intergenerational justice rather than focusing solely on short-term human gains. The statement that future generations and non-human species deserve moral consideration captures this ethical perspective, making Option B correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because treating nature as valuable only for immediate human use leads to unsustainable exploitation and ignores intrinsic or long-term values. This purely instrumental view is questioned by most environmental ethicists.

Option B:
Option B is correct since it acknowledges that development decisions should weigh impacts on those who cannot speak for themselves, including future people and non-human life. This outlook underpins principles like intergenerational equity and the precautionary approach.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as it prioritises only current economic profits. Such a narrow focus neglects the rights of future generations, planetary boundaries and non-economic values like cultural and spiritual ties to nature.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because environmental problems inevitably raise questions about justice, rights and responsibilities. Technical solutions must be guided by ethical frameworks, not separated from them.

Environmental ethics is a branch of applied ethics that focuses on how humans ought to relate morally to the environment and non-human beings. It questions whether nature has intrinsic value beyond its utility to humans. It also debates anthropocentric, biocentric and ecocentric viewpoints regarding environmental decision-making. Therefore, its central concern is the moral relationship between human beings and the natural world, which is captured in option C.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because assessing economic value belongs more to environmental economics than environmental ethics. While ethics may question how we value nature, the central focus is not economic valuation but moral responsibility.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as legal analysis belongs to environmental law. Ethics can influence law, but the study of statutes and regulations is not itself the main focus of environmental ethics.

Option C:
Option C is correct since it directly refers to the moral relationship between humans and nature. This includes questions about duties to animals, ecosystems and future generations, which lie at the heart of environmental ethics.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because developing technologies for resource extraction is a technical and engineering activity. Environmental ethics may evaluate whether such technologies should be used, but it does not focus on their development.

Statements C and D are wrong because they misrepresent both environmental ethics and environmental education. Environmental ethics generally recognises intrinsic value in non-human nature, not just human interests, and therefore C is incorrect. Environmental education is meant for all learners to foster environmental responsibility, so restricting it only to science students as in D is also wrong. Statements A and B correctly describe the scope of environmental ethics and goals of environmental education, so the correct set of wrong statements is C and D only.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it singles out C as the only wrong statement and treats D as acceptable. While C is indeed wrong, D is also incorrect because environmental education is intended to be interdisciplinary and open to all learners, not restricted to science students. Excluding D from the wrong set makes this combination incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it identifies both C and D as misrepresentations of the concepts involved. Environmental ethics goes beyond anthropocentric interests, and environmental education is not discipline-bound. By excluding A and B, which are correct, this option satisfies the requirement of selecting all wrong statements.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it claims that A, C and D are wrong. Statement A accurately defines environmental ethics as exploring the moral relationship between humans and nature and is widely accepted in philosophy and environmental studies. Including a correct statement in the wrong set makes this option logically flawed.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it groups B, C and D as wrong statements. Statement B is correct since environmental education indeed aims at developing knowledge, attitudes and skills to address environmental issues. Treating B as wrong along with C and D contradicts the established objectives of environmental education.