Intrinsic Value of Nature in View of Mullah Sadra Shirazi

Environmental ethics is a controversial topic of our era which has attracted many philosopher's attention, in which understanding of nature by human, human relationship with the environment, and the sense of responsibility toward it are considered. This article aims at replying to this question of whether the nature has intrinsic value or extrinsic one; that is to say whether the value of nature is because that it serves human or the value of nature is inherent and also independent of what is inside the human's mind or it is human who gives value to it and or it is worthless regardless of human valuation? Since Mullah Sadra considers the universe, based on his philosophic fundamentals, as God's creature being the symbol of Allah's Names of Outstanding Excellence and His Elevated Attributes; and that he especially considers the system of existence as the Best Order due to divine wisdom and justice, he concludes that this Best Order has intrinsic value regardless of its being in human's service. In addition, since around the world is a manifestation of the Exalted God's names and attributes; all the creatures, as the manifestation of God's Beautiful Names, deserve to be cherished by human. The feature of being cherished by human indicates their intrinsic value because all the creatures around the world are a beam of His sovereignty and indication of His absolute existence.