Ecologia, valori strumentali e valori intrinseci del mondo naturale

The paper addresses the question concerning the epistemological and ontological status of the values of the natural world. Are they instrumental values? Are they intrinsic values? The question is approached both from a historical and theoretical point of view. After showing that in the Western tradition the recognition of the not only instrumental values of the natural world has historically occurred starting from his biotic components, some problematic aspects of the theories that assign intrinsic values to nature will be shown. Despite these problematic aspects, arguments in favor of the intrinsic value of the natural world will be given in the final part of the paper.