Anthropocentrism is a philosophical doctrine that places the figure of the human being as the "center of the world", highlighting the importance of humanity in comparison with the other things that make up the Universe.
From the point of view of anthropocentrism, considered a "science of man", human beings are responsible for all their actions, whether cultural, social, philosophical or historical, by example.
So, the anthropocentric view defends that the world, as well as everything that exists in it, is of greater benefit to human beings. This doctrine creates a human independence from the divine figure, which for many centuries was prevalent throughout most of the world.
Anthropocentrism emerged in Europe, being the Copernicus' Heliocentrism it's the Humanism two of its main landmarks. According to Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 - 1543), the Earth revolved around the Sun and not the other way around, as was thought at that time.
Copernicus' theory was totally opposed to the geocentric model that characterized Theocentrism, and which was defended by the Catholic Church at that time.
Etymologically, the word anthropocentrism originated from the Greek anthropos, which means "human", and kentron, which means "center".
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Anthropocentrism and Theocentrism
Both are antagonistic concepts. Unlike anthropocentrism, theocentrism consists of idea that "God is the center of the world". This was a very present concept during the Middle Ages, when religion exerted a massive influence on society.
The transition process between theocentrism and anthropocentrism began between the 15th and 16th centuries, with the rise of Renaissance humanism and other movements led by philosophers, scholars and artists.
The shift from theocentrism to anthropocentrism still represented several social changes, such as the replacement of the model feudalism to mercantile capitalism, the beginning of the great navigations, and the passage from the Middle Ages to the Ages Modern.
Learn more about Theocentrism.