本文研究了我國老子哲學思想的環境保護意義：「知足」、「去奢」和「周行而不殆」等觀點具有減少生產、消費中的資源消耗的內涵；但是，老子的回歸自然只是一種善良願望，是對人類文明進步的反動。結合當代複雜的社會現象，本文探討了如何利用科學技術的新成果，吸取老子消費觀的精華，剔除其封建糟粕，使其消費成為環境保護的動力。

　　　　　Ancient Confucians, including Confucius, Mencius, Xun Zi, The I-Ching Commentaries, and the Doctrine of the Mean all maintain an anthropocentric environmental philosophy. They all assumed humans held a higher position than other living things. Confucianism, as is well known, became the dominant Chinese philosophy. Today most governments have adapted an anthropocentric environmental philosophy to secure economic development. These philosophies are divided into “Strong Anthropocentrism” and “Weak Anthropocentrism”. Due to the fact that Confucianism and Anthropocentrism share certain tendencies, this article deals with the differences and similarities between the two philosophies. It also deals with whether or not the philosophies would be able to grow through dialogue, and what kind of environmental philosophy is most suited for modern China. Results of my study show that environmental ethics, its foundations, and the environmental spirituality of ancient Confucianism share certain common elements. The discrepancies between the two ecological philosophies are a good chance to learn and grow as well. It is the paper's contention that Confucian environmental philosophy is more suited than western anthropocentrism for China's needs because Confucianism elaborates on certain ethical principles. Confucian environmental philosophy has limits, however, and needs to learn something from western anthropocentrism. Confucian environmental philosophy could synthesize the best of ecological philosophy from western biocentrism and holism, as well as Daoism, Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism. In doing so, ancient Confucianism could become a more balanced environmental philosophy.