Ethics Against Extinction examines the ethical responsibilities of humans in response to the ongoing extinction of animal species, a central issue in the contemporary environmental crisis. It argues that the expansion of technological power has made human activity a threat to the planet’s ecological balance, and that any viable future requires a shift in consciousness and lifestyle toward modesty, precaution, and frugality.

Drawing on the philosophy of Hans Jonas and engaging with thinkers such as Arne Naess, James Lovelock, Pablo Solón, and Ailton Krenak, the book explores the concept of cosmic equilibrium and the moral obligation to protect animal life. It critically assesses technological approaches to conservation, from habitat restoration and monitoring to biotechnology and assisted reproduction, highlighting their political and economic dimensions.

Through the lens of convivialism and Indigenous knowledge, the book proposes a framework for coexistence with animals based on interdependence, respect for diversity, and shared responsibility. It argues that extinction is not only a biological loss, but also a cultural one, and calls for an ethics of responsibility grounded in philosophical biology and informed by traditional ecological perspectives.

Jelson Oliveira is Philosopher, Professor in the Graduate Program in Philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), and researcher at CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development). He holds a master’s and a doctoral degree in the History of Contemporary Philosophy and, for the past ten years, has been dedicated to the work of the German philosopher Hans Jonas, particularly at the intersection of ethics, environmental education, animal rights, plant philosophy, and the philosophy of technology. He has conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom, 2016) and at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, 2022). He is a member of the Hans Jonas Research Group (CNPq), coordinator of the GT Hans Jonas, and a member of the ANPOF (National Association of Graduate Studies in Brazil) Working Groups on the Philosophy of Technology and on Nietzsche. He is the founding director of the Hans Jonas Chair at PUCPR. Author of over one hundred articles and several books on environmental philosophy, including “Fragile Balance: Climate Justice and Environmental Responsibility” (2025).