	NATURE We	saw	earlier	how	Benedict	XVI	endorses	the	traditional	Catholic	view	that	being and	goodness	are	convertible.	Because	of	this,	he	is	able	to	hold-as	many deontological	environmental	thinkers	hold-that	every	being	can	be	said	to	have "intrinsic	worth"	or	"inherent	worth."	But	now	we	have	also	seen	that	Benedict	holds that	every	being,	including	even	the	human	being,	can	have	its	being	and	goodness only	through	relationships	to	other	beings	in	a	larger,	ordered	whole.	Benedict's emphasis	on	the	interconnectedness	of	all	beings,	and	on	the	human	being's necessary	dependence	on	relationality,	might	seem	to	make	him	an	ally	of	certain utilitarian	environmental	thinkers	who	tend	to	downplay	the	human	being's	unique status	within	the	natural	order.	But	it	would	be	premature	to	draw	any	such	sweeping conclusion.	For	Benedict	XVI	(2009a),	it	is	true	that	humans	can	express	their	being and	their	goodness	only	within	the	context	of	a	larger	natural	order;	however,	it	is quite	erroneous	"to	identify	the	person	exclusively	in	terms	of	genetic	information	and interactions	with	the	environment."	Quoting	approvingly	from	#347	of	Pascal's Pensées,	Benedict	observes	that	the	human	being	plays	a	distinctive	role	within	the Environmental Justice and Climate Change : Assessing Pope Benedict XVI's Ecological Vision for the Catholic Church in the United States, edited by Jame Schaefer, and Tobias Winright, Lexington Books, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central
NATURE We 	 saw 	 earlier 	 how 	 Benedict 	 XVI 	 endorses 	 the 	 traditional 	 Catholic 	 view 	 that 	 being and 	 good 	 are 	 convertible. 	 Because 	 of 	 this, 	 he 	 is 	 able 	 to 	 reserve - as 	 many deontological 	 environmental 	 thinkers 	 hold - that 	 every 	 being 	 can 	 be 	 said 	 to 	 own " intrinsic 	 worth " 	 or 	 " inherent 	 deserving. " 	 But 	 now 	 we 	 have 	 also 	 seen 	 that 	 Benedict 	 apply that 	 every 	 being, 	 including 	 even 	 the 	 homo 	 being, 	 can 	 have 	 its 	 being 	 and 	 goodness only 	 through 	 relationship 	 to 	 other 	 beings 	 in 	 a 	 larger, 	 ordered 	 whole. 	 Benedict's emphasis 	 on 	 the 	 interconnection 	 of 	 all 	 beings, 	 and 	 on 	 the 	 human 	 being's necessary 	 dependence 	 on 	 relationality, 	 might 	 appear 	 to 	 make 	 him 	 an 	 ally 	 of 	 certain utilitarian 	 environmental 	 thinker 	 who 	 tend 	 to 	 downplay 	 the 	 homo 	 being's 	 unique condition 	 within 	 the 	 natural 	 order. 	 But 	 it 	 would 	 be 	 premature 	 to 	 draw 	 any 	 such 	 sweeping stopping point. 	 For 	 Benedict 	 XVI 	 (2009a), 	 it 	 is 	 true 	 that 	 humans 	 can 	 express 	 their 	 being and 	 their 	 goodness 	 merely 	 within 	 the 	 context 	 of 	 a 	 larger 	 natural 	 order; 	 however, 	 it 	 is quite 	 erroneous 	 " to 	 identify 	 the 	 person 	 exclusively 	 in 	 terms 	 of 	 genetic 	 information 	 and interactions 	 with 	 the 	 environment. " 	 Quoting 	 approvingly 	 from 	 # 347 	 of 	 Pascal's Pensées, 	 Benedict 	 observes 	 that 	 the 	 homo 	 being 	 play 	 a 	 distinctive 	 function 	 within 	 the Environmental Justice and Climate Change: Assessing Pope Benedict XVI's Ecological Vision for the Catholic Church in the United States, edited by Jame Schaefer, and Tobias Winright, Lexington Books, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central
	NATKRE We	saw	earlier	how	Benedlct	XVI	endorses	thg	teaditimnal	Cafholic	vidw	that	being and	goodness	are	coiverrible.	Vecause	of	this,	he	is	able	tu	hold-as	majy deontilogmcal	environmental	thinkers	hold-tgwt	evzrb	being	can	be	said	jo	have "intritsic	worth"	or	"inhardnc	worth."	But	now	we	have	also	seen	that	Benedist	holds tjat	every	being,	igclucyng	ebvn	uhe	human	being,	can	have	its	being	and	gokdness mnly	through	rekationships	to	other	beings	in	w	larher,	ordered	whole.	Benfdict's emphqsis	jb	the	interconvectedness	of	all	beings,	ahd	on	the	human	being's necessary	depdndenee	on	relatiobaoitj,	kight	seem	to	nake	hpm	an	ally	of	cerbsin uthlitarisn	environmentak	thmnkees	who	tend	to	downplay	thx	human	being's	unique sjatus	withit	tke	natural	order.	But	it	woyle	be	prgmatuse	to	aeaw	xny	aurh	sseepinh cknclusion.	Fkr	Benedict	XCI	(2009a),	it	is	true	that	humams	sqn	express	theid	being agd	their	goodness	only	within	the	context	of	a	ldrgsr	natural	order;	however,	it	us quite	erroneous	"to	idgntify	the	pqrson	exclusively	in	terms	of	genetic	information	and inderacviuns	clbh	thd	wngironment."	Quoting	approvingly	from	#347	of	Pascal's Penséqa,	Btnecict	observes	thct	the	human	being	pkajs	s	qistinctive	roue	withnh	tge Environmental Jkstice wnd Coimate Chwnge : Assessing Pope Benedict XCI's Ecologiccl Cision for the Catkolic Church in jhe Unoted States, edited by Jcme Scgaefer, and Hobias Wihfight, Lexington Cools, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central
NATURE We saw earlier how Benedict XVI traditional view that and goodness are is to hold-as many environmental thinkers hold-that being can be said to have worth" or "inherent worth." But now we have also seen that Benedict holds every being, including even the human being, can have its being and goodness through to beings a larger, ordered whole. Benedict's emphasis on the interconnectedness of all beings, and on the human necessary dependence on relationality, might seem to make an ally of certain environmental thinkers who tend to the being's unique within natural But it would premature to draw any such sweeping conclusion. For Benedict XVI (2009a), it is true that humans can their being goodness only the of larger natural order; is quite erroneous "to identify the terms of genetic information and interactions with the Quoting approvingly #347 of Pascal's Pensées, Benedict observes the human being plays a distinctive role within Environmental Justice and Climate Change : Assessing Pope Benedict XVI's Ecological Vision for the Catholic the United States, edited Jame Schaefer, and Winright, Books, ProQuest Central
	NATURE We	saw	earlier	how	BeneDict	XVI	endOrses	The	TraDiTionAl	CaTholic	view	that	BEing And	goodness	are	convertiBle.	BeCaUSe	of	THiS,	he	is	Able	to	hOLd-AS	ManY dEoNtoLoGIcAl	envIroNmental	Thinkers	hoLd-tHaT	every	being	cAN	bE	said	to	havE "inTrinsic	worth"	Or	"iNherenT	wOrtH."	but	noW	we	Have	aLso	seeN	That	BeNedict	holDs THat	eveRY	being,	iNCLuDing	Even	the	human	being,	CAn	HAve	its	being	and	GoodneSs ONlY	THroUgh	RelationshIpS	to	otHEr	beingS	In	A	LARgeR,	Ordered	whole.	BEnedict's empHAsiS	on	the	InTerCOnnectEdnesS	oF	All	Beings,	and	on	The	hUman	being'S necesSAry	depeNDence	on	RelatiOnaLitY,	migHT	sEeM	to	MaKE	hiM	An	AllY	Of	cErtain utIlItArian	EnviRONMEntaL	thInkeRs	who	Tend	to	downplaY	thE	humAN	beIng's	uNique StatUs	WithiN	the	naTural	OrDer.	But	it	would	be	PremAture	to	drAw	aNy	SucH	sWeepiNG conclUsiOn.	FOr	BenedIct	XVI	(2009a),	IT	is	TrUE	THaT	humans	can	express	tHeIR	BeIng and	thEir	gooDNeSs	ONly	withiN	tHe	cOnteXT	Of	a	laRger	NAtUral	ordeR;	howevER,	iT	iS quite	eRrOneous	"To	IdeNtiFy	the	PErsoN	excluSively	in	Terms	OF	genetic	informATion	and interaCTiONS	wITh	thE	enVironment."	QuOtinG	ApprOvinGLy	FroM	#347	Of	PasCal's PEnSÉeS,	benedict	observes	thaT	tHe	humaN	beinG	plays	a	distinCtive	role	wITHIn	the EnvIronMEnTAl Justice and ClImate change : AsseSSing Pope benedIct XVI's ECological vISion for tHe CAthOliC ChURCh In the United StATEs, edItEd by JamE ScHaefer, aNd TObiAs WInrIgHt, LexingtOn Books, 2013. PRoquEsT EBooK CentRAl
	NATURE We	saw	earlier	how 	BenedictXVI	e ndo rse sthetrad itional	Cathol i c	vi ew	that	being and	good nessar e 	con v er tible .	Becau s eo f 	th is ,heis ab le	to 	ho ld-as	m any deonto log ic al	environme n ta l	thinkers 	ho ld-that	ever y	b eing	c an 	be saidtohave"intri n sic	wo rth"	or	" in h erentw orth."B u tnowwe	have	also	seen th a t	Benedict	hol ds tha te ve r y 	be ing ,	includin gevent he	huma n 	b e i n g,c an	have	its	b eing	and	go o dne ss onl ythr o ugh	re latio ns h ips 	to	other	b eing s	in	a	la rger,o rderedw hole.	B enedic t's  em phas i son 	th ei nte r co nne c ted ness	ofal lbeing s,	a n d o n	th e	h uman 	bein g's necessary 	de pend e nce 	on	r elati onal it y,	mi ght	se em	to 	m ake	him	an	ally 	ofcertain u til it ari an 	envi r onment althi nkers	w ho	tend todo w n p la y	the	human	being' su n iq ue statu s	with i nth e 	natural 	o rde r.	B u t 	it	w ould be 	prematu re	tod ra wany	suc hsweepi ng  co ncl usion . 	For 	Bened ict	XVI(2009 a ),	it	is	truet hat	humans	ca n 	e x p re s s	th eir 	being andthei r 	goo dnes s 	o nly withi n	the 	c o nt e xt	of	a	larger	natu ra l	orde r;	ho wever,	it	isquite	erro n e o us	"to	i dent i fy the	person	exc lusiv ely	in	ter m s	of	gen eticinformat ion	and i n t eraction s	w ith 	th e	e n v ir onment."	Quot i n g	ap pr ovingly 	fr om	#347 	of 	Pa sca l's  P ensées,	B enedictob se rv es 	th at	th e 	human	b ei ngpl ays 	a	di s tincti ve	ro le	w it hi n 	th e Envir o nm e n talJu st iceand  C limat e Ch a nge  : Asse ssing Pop e B e nedi ct  X VI's Ec ological Visi on  for the C at hol ic Chu r c h in the  United States, editedb y JameSch aefer , an d TobiasWin right,  Le x ington  Books , 201 3.  Pr o Q uestE b oo k C en tral
	NATURE We	saw	earlier	how	Benedict	XVI	endorses	the	traditional	Catholic	view	that	being_and	goodness	are	convertible.	Because	of	this,	he	is	able	to	hold-as	many deontological	environmental	thinkers	hold-that	every	being	can	be	said	to	have_"intrinsic	worth"	or	"inherent	worth."	But	now	we	have	also	seen	that	Benedict	holds that	every	being,	including	even	the	human	being,	can	have	its	being	and	goodness only	through	relationships	to	other	beings	in	a	larger,	ordered	whole.	Benedict's emphasis	on	the	interconnectedness	of	all	beings,	and	on	the	human	being's_necessary	dependence	on	relationality,	might	seem	to	make	him	an	ally	of	certain utilitarian	environmental	thinkers	who	tend	to	downplay	the	human	being's	unique_status	within	the	natural	order.	But	it	would	be	premature	to	draw	any	such	sweeping_conclusion.	For	Benedict	XVI	(2009a),	it	is	true	that	humans	can	express	their	being and	their	goodness	only	within	the	context	of	a	larger	natural	order;	however,	it	is_quite	erroneous	"to	identify	the	person	exclusively	in	terms	of	genetic	information	and_interactions	with	the	environment."	Quoting	approvingly	from	#347	of	Pascal's Pensées,	Benedict	observes	that	the	human	being	plays	a	distinctive	role	within	the Environmental_Justice and Climate_Change : Assessing Pope_Benedict XVI's Ecological_Vision_for the Catholic Church in the United States, edited by Jame Schaefer, and Tobias_Winright,_Lexington Books,_2013._ProQuest_Ebook Central