Keywords

Mycology, Ethics, Biocentrism, Fungi, Biophilia, Albert Schweitzer

Abstract

There is a 21st century wave of passion surrounding fungi and mycology, and it’s becoming louder and louder. The mycoenthusiasts themselves have a uniquely inspired ethical system born out of their science, and my aim is to both formally introduce their position, including many unspoken foundations, and defend its potential. I call this position mycoethics and attempt to collect it from the scattered tidbits in mycological media. I first identify its historical precedent, then spend a length of time establishing where its sense of goodness comes from, postulating it as a utilitarian offspring of Albert Schweitzer’s reverence for life. I also analyze how mycoethics is measuring goodness so as to place fungi in the position of moral exemplary and suggest we may improve our morality if we mimic their ecology. Mycoethics translates many scientific findings into moral lessons for humanity in a way that uniquely respects the nonhuman. Mycoethical ideas on how to achieve goodness usually involve reciprocity, kinship, equality, humility, informed action, and relational awareness. Mycoethics is also a very biologically focused ethic, not only because goodness is equated with life, but also because it acknowledges evolutionary limitations and defaults its ability to estimate consequences to scientific measurement. I also rebuttal the two clearest sources in which a form of mycoethics has been pointed out, which are both criticisms of the idea that fungi inspired morals could be meaningfully practical. One claims mycoethics is nonconfrontational and the other that it is dogmatic. However, in my exposure to mycoethics, I have observed nothing but active intellectual compassion for all life and a commitment to inspiring in others the same.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Summer

Thesis Chair

Beever, Jonathan

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

Philosophy

Thesis Discipline

Philosophy

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Additional Files
Mycoethics.docx (1543 kB)
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