The narrowly utilitarian arguments for conserving biodiversity focus on:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → The economic benefits humans derive from nature.
The narrowly utilitarian argument is the most obvious reason for conserving biodiversity. Humans get countless direct economic benefits from nature: food such as cereals, pulses and fruits, firewood, fibre, construction material, industrial products such as tannins, lubricants and dyes, and products of medicinal importance.
Option (1) The moral duty to care for other species. — Incorrect. The moral duty to care for the well-being of other species belongs to the ethical argument.
Option (2) The intrinsic value of every species. — Incorrect. The idea that every species has an intrinsic value, even if it has no economic value to us, is also part of the ethical argument.
Option (3) The economic benefits humans derive from nature. — Correct. Direct products that humans use or sell, from food to medicines, are the economic benefits on which the narrowly utilitarian argument rests.
Option (4) The ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. — Incorrect. Ecosystem services such as oxygen production and pollination form the broadly utilitarian argument, not the narrowly utilitarian one.
NCERT Extract:
Why Should We Conserve Biodiversity? – “There are many reasons, some obvious and others not so obvious, but all equally important. They can be grouped into three categories: narrowly utilitarian, broadly utilitarian, and ethical. The narrowly utilitarian arguments for conserving biodiversity are obvious; humans derive countless direct economic benefits from nature–food (cereals, pulses, fruits), firewood, fibre, construction material, industrial products (tannins, lubricants, dyes, resins, perfumes ) and products of medicinal importance.”