Existentialism and environmental destruction: Should polluters face criminal punishment or an existential crisis?

Faculty of Law, Gorontalo State University, Gorontalo, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: suwitno@ung.ac.id

Abstract

This study examines how existentialism, which emphasizes purpose, freedom, and individual life, affects environmental harm. The study asks: should environmental polluters face only criminal penalties or existential crises as a deeper moral responsibility? Conceptual normative research is used in this work. This study analyses existentialist and environmental criminal law literature to link existential crises to environmental degradation. The results imply that existentialism—a philosophy that analyses meaning, freedom, and existence—is linked to rampant environmental deterioration. This study suggests that environmental harm perpetrators should confront an “existential crisis” rather than criminal punishment. The crisis is forcing a reorientation of values and actions, which affects business behaviour, environmental ethics, and criminal law. Existentialism in Environmental Law and ethics broadens “responsibility” and “accountability,” while offering a more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable paradigm.