Anthropocentrists regard humans as the central element of existence, especially as opposed to God or animals. They would argue that humans have a duty and obligation to protect their environment. On the other hand [[Ecocentric arguments for environmental protection|ecocentric theories]] emphasise the value of species and ecosystems. [[@king-1999|King]] writes "anthropocentrists would argue that environmental protection can be defended along traditional utilitarian and deontological lines, many philosophers believe that a significant break with this tradition is needed in order to explore adequately the moral significance of the nonhuman world".