George Sessions (1938-2016) was an American philosopher who co-developed the Deep Ecology Platform with Arne Naess. He taught philosophy at Sierra College in Rocklin, California for nearly fifty years, where he served as department chair.
Sessions co-authored Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered (1985) with Bill Devall, one of the first comprehensive presentations of deep ecology philosophy for North American readers. The book examined the philosophical, psychological, and social dimensions of the environmental movement, proposing an ecocentric rather than anthropocentric approach to nature.
In April 1984, Sessions and Naess formulated the eight-point Deep Ecology Platform while camping in Death Valley, California. The Platform articulated basic principles including the intrinsic value of all life, the right of all beings to flourish, and the need for fundamental changes in human economic and ideological structures. Sessions intended these principles as starting points for people to develop their own ecological philosophies rather than as rigid doctrine.
Sessions edited Deep Ecology for the Twenty-First Century: Readings on the Philosophy and Practice of the New Environmentalism (1995), an anthology featuring essays by Naess, Gary Snyder, and other contributors to deep ecology thought. The collection examined deep ecology’s philosophical foundations, historical roots, and practical applications.
His scholarship traced ecocentric thinking through Western philosophy, examining figures from Spinoza through Thoreau, Muir, and Leopold. He analyzed how anthropocentric assumptions shaped Western culture’s relationship with nature and proposed philosophical alternatives based on recognizing intrinsic value in non-human nature.
Sessions was an accomplished climber who spent time with Camp 4 Yosemite climbers in his earlier years. He died of cancer on February 29, 2016.
Key Concepts
- Deep Ecology Platform: Eight-point statement of basic principles co-developed with Arne Naess (1984)
- Ecocentrism: Philosophical position recognizing intrinsic value in non-human nature
- Ecological Consciousness: Awareness of humans as members rather than masters of the biotic community
- Critique of Anthropocentrism: Analysis of human-centered assumptions in Western philosophy and culture
Essential Works
- “Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered” (Gibbs Smith, 1985) - ISBN 978-0-87905-247-3 - With Bill Devall
- “Deep Ecology for the Twenty-First Century: Readings on the Philosophy and Practice of the New Environmentalism” (Shambhala, 1995) - ISBN 978-1-57062-049-2 - Editor
Selected Quotes
The well-being and flourishing of human and nonhuman Life on Earth have value in themselves. These values are independent of the usefulness of the non-human world for human purposes. — Deep Ecology Platform (1984)
Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of these values and are also values in themselves. — Deep Ecology Platform (1984)
Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs. — Deep Ecology Platform (1984)
Present human interference with the nonhuman world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening. — Deep Ecology Platform (1984)
The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating life quality rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living. — Deep Ecology Platform (1984)
Those who subscribe to the foregoing points have an obligation directly or indirectly to participate in the attempt to implement the necessary changes. — Deep Ecology Platform (1984)
Further Reading
Biographical Sources
Key Books
- Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered (Gibbs Smith, 1985) - ISBN 978-0-87905-247-3
- Deep Ecology for the Twenty-First Century (Shambhala, 1995) - ISBN 978-1-57062-049-2
Related Resources
- Deep Ecology Platform text (1984)
- Sierra College Philosophy Department archives