Environmental ethics: concept, basic principles, problems

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

In the 21st century, the question of the relationship between man and nature has become particularly acute. Such vital indicators for the further existence of the planet as the state of the ozone layer, the temperature of ocean water, the rate of ice melting, the mass extinction of animals, birds, fish and insects turned out to be too striking.

In the minds of humane and civilized people, the idea of the need for such a concept as environmental justice, and its introduction to the masses, began to appear. If this mission is carried out on a global scale, then it can forever change people's consumer attitude towards nature to partnership.

The emergence of environmental ethics

When the environmental crisis was just brewing in the 1970s, scientists in the West responded to it by creating such a scientific discipline as environmental ethics. The main cause of problems in the environment, according to experts such as D. Pierce, D. Kozlovsky, J. Tinbergen and others - this is a departure at some stage in the development of life on the planet in the complete absence of a connection between man and nature.

If at the beginning of its journey humanity perceived nature as a manifestation of divine power, on which the life of civilization directly depends, then as science and industry developed, admiration for the wisdom and harmony of this world was replaced by a thirst for profit.

That is why the organizers came to the conclusion that it is impossible to consider the existing problems in isolation from the study of the moral and ethical standards of man. Only by rooting in people the realization that they are not the crowns of nature, but its small biological and energetic part, it is possible to set up harmonious relationships between them.

This is what the scientific discipline of environmental ethics does. Promoting its values into the minds of most people can qualitatively change life on the planet.

Fundamentals of environmental ethics

Maybe this is yet another confirmation that everything in the history of the Earth is cyclical, and the knowledge possessed by modern man was already known to disappeared civilizations, but scientists are again returning to the origins of ancient wisdom.

Philosophers who lived several thousand years ago knew that the Cosmos, everything living and non-living on the planet, visible and invisible, constitutes a single energy system. For example, this wisdom was characteristic of ancient Indian teachings.

In those days the world was not dual, that is, divided intonature and man, but constituted a single whole. At the same time, people collaborated with him, studied and were well versed in various natural phenomena. The theory of the biosphere and noosphere developed by Vernadsky was based precisely on the fact that the Cosmos, nature and animals are in harmonious interaction with man with full respect for each other's life. These principles formed the basis of the new ethics.

It also takes into account Schweitzer's teachings about man's admiration for all living things and his responsibility for maintaining balance and harmony in the universe. Ecological ethics and moral foundations of people should be united and focused on the desire to be, and not to have. For this to happen, humanity must abandon the ideology of consumption.

Principles of Environmental Ethics

The activity of the Club of Rome has played a big role in changing the views on modern environmental problems. In the last quarter of the 20th century, at a regular report at the Club of Rome, its president A. Peccei for the first time voiced such a concept as ecological culture. The program was connected with the development of New Humanism, which included the task of complete transformation of human consciousness.

The main principles of the new concept were formulated at the international Seoul conference in 1997. The main topic was the discussion of the fact that it is impossible to further restore the ecosystem with such a rapid population growth and consumption of natural resources.

The Declaration adopted at the conference points to the relationship between the environmental crisis and the social disadvantage of people in most countries. Where all social, material and spiritual conditions have been created for the full life of citizens, there is no threat to the ecosystem.

The conclusion of this conference was a call to humanity for the harmonious development of all countries in which all laws are aimed at preserving nature and respecting it and life in general. Over the past years, the formation of an ecological culture has not been put into action, since this concept has not been brought to the attention of all mankind.

Law of nature and society

This law states that the harmonious coexistence of a rapidly developing human civilization based on consumption and the preservation of the natural balance is impossible. The growing needs of mankind are met at the expense of the resources of the planet. Plant and animal life is endangered.

Changing the current situation is possible only with a decrease in the technical exploitation of natural resources and a change in the minds of people from material values to spiritual ones, in which concern for the world around becomes a priority.

Many scientists believe that the problems of environmental ethics can be solved by reducing the birth rate in particularly densely populated regions of the planet. The first principle of this science is to treat nature as a living entity in need of love and care.

Condition for the existence of the biosphere

The main condition for the existence of the biosphere is its constant diversity, which is impossible with the regular exploitation of resources, sohow they either do not recover at all, or it takes a long time.

Since the development of any culture on Earth, as well as its diversity and richness, was supported by natural diversity, the decline of civilization is inevitable without maintaining this balance. The situation can only be changed by reducing the activities of people in terms of the consumption of natural resources.

The second principle requires the widespread restriction of human activities and the development of nature's features to self-healing. At the same time, actions of solidarity for the preservation of natural resources and the creation of additional artificial natural ecosystems should be held in all countries of the world.

Commoner's Law

This law confirms the theory that nature rejects what is alien to it. Although it can submit to chaos, the destruction of the cultural environment occurs. It cannot develop spontaneously, since everything living and non-living in it is interconnected. The disappearance of one species entails the destruction of other systems associated with it.

Preservation of order, as well as the elimination of entropy, is possible only with a reasonable consumption of the planet's resources within the energy needs of mankind and the possibilities of nature itself. If people take more than the land can give, a crisis is inevitable.

The third principle that modern environmental ethics reveals is that humanity must stop consuming resources in excess of those necessary for survival. To do this, science must develop mechanisms that can regulatethe relationship of people with nature.

Reimers' Law

An important need for all peoples living on the planet is to resist environmental pollution. The best option to make this a reality is to create zero waste production in any industry, but as Reimers' law says, there is always a side effect of man-made impact on nature.

Since the creation of completely waste-free industries is impossible, the only way out of the situation may be the widespread greening of the economy. To do this, socio-economic bodies should be created to conduct examinations during the construction of industries or their re-equipment.

The beauty of nature can only be preserved if all countries jointly comply with environmental standards in the operation and management of technology.

The fourth principle implies the influence of eco-organizations on heads of government, political and power structures of society that make decisions on the exploitation of natural resources.

Human use of natural resources

Throughout the history of mankind, a close relationship can be traced between people's use of natural resources and the improvement of their quality of life.

If primitive people were content with caves, a hearth, caught and killed dinner, then when leading a settled life, their needs increased. There was a need for deforestation to build houses or expand arable land. More to come.

Today's situationis called overexpenditure of the planet's resources, and the line of non-return to the previous level has already been passed. The only solution to the problem can be the limitation of human needs for the economical use of natural resources and the turn of human consciousness towards spiritual unity with the outside world.

The fifth principle says that nature and animals will be safe when humanity introduces asceticism as the norm.

Ethical and ideological problem

The main principle of the existence of mankind should be the determination of its further path on this planet.

Since an ecosystem cannot be returned to its original state in the event of severe destruction, the only salvation for today's situation can be a decision to make the principles of environmental ethics a world heritage.

But to avoid a repeat of the destruction of natural resources, these principles must become part of the culture of every community on Earth. Their introduction into the consciousness of people must be carried out over several generations, so that for descendants it becomes the norm to realize that the beauty of nature and its preservation is their responsibility.

This requires teaching children about environmental morality so that protecting the environment becomes a spiritual need.

Lessons in environmental ethics have become a vital necessity for the further development of civilization. This is easy to do, it is enough to introduce such a discipline in schools and universities around the world.

Anthropocentrism

The concept of anthropocentrism is associated with the doctrine that man is the topcreations, and all the resources and features of nature are created for him to rule over.

Such suggestion over the centuries has led to the ecological crisis of today. Even ancient philosophers argued that animals and plants do not have feelings and exist solely to meet the needs of people.

The conquest of nature by the followers of this concept was welcomed in every possible way, and this gradually led to a crisis of human consciousness. To control everything, manage everything and subdue oneself - these are the main principles of anthropocentrism.

Only the upbringing of ecological culture among the peoples of all countries can change the situation. This will also take time, but with the development of information technology, the process of changing consciousness may become reversible in the next generation of people.

Nonanthropocentrism

The main concept of non-anthropocentrism is the unity of the biosphere with man. The biosphere is usually called a living open system, subject to the influence of both external and internal factors. The concept of unity includes not only the similarity of the work of human brain cells and higher animals or the genetic alphabet, but also their subordination to the general laws of the development of the biosphere.

Formation of environmental ethics

What is needed to change the situation? Environmental ethics as a scientific discipline was formed for a reason during the transition of mankind to the noosphere system. To prevent a transition from being fatal, the following concepts should be considered:

Every inhabitant of the planet mustknow the laws of development of the biosphere and your place in it.
On a global scale, the rules of the relationship between man and nature should be adopted.
Everyone should think about the next generation.
Every nation has an obligation to spend resources based on real needs.
Quotas for the consumption of natural resources are determined taking into account the situation in each individual country, regardless of the political situation in it.

With this approach, the life of plants, animals and people will be in harmonious development.

Changing the picture of the world

To get the desired result as quickly as possible, you should change the picture of the world in the minds of each individual. In it, not only humanity and nature should be united, but also people among themselves.