LESSON 4: THE HUMAN IN THE ENVIRONMENT
According to Price (2000),Eastern sages probed nature’s depths
INTUITIVELY through the eyes of SPIRITUAL SAGES while Greek
thinkers viewed nature through COGNITIVE & SCIENTIFIC eyes .
PARADIGM SHIFT - representation of the speculations of Pre-
Socratic philosophers regarding changes in the environment.
------- a change from the mythical explanation of the origins of the
cosmos to a more rational explanation.
2 FRAMEWORKS ON NATURE OR THE ENVIRONMENT
A. ANTHROPOCENTRIC MODEL--Humans are superior
and central to the universe.
Human
culture
individualism
mind
calculative human over/against
environments Global/technological
B. ECOCENTRIC MODEL -the ecological or relational integrity
of the humans provide meaning of our morals and values
Nature
wild
holism
nature/cosmos
body
relational
earth/wisdom
ecology/against humans
According to Payne, classrooms cannot set aside the importance
of aesthetics as well as the environment that suggests valuing that
include: aesthetic appreciation, enjoyment, relaxation,satisfaction,
calm, peace, social interaction, growth towards holism and self
understanding.
NOTICE DISORDER IN THE UNIVERSE.
The domination of humanity is linked to the domination of
nature based on the anthropocentric model.
Current researches by Zimmerman, Elgin,& Petman
* exposed the environmental consequence of international
politico-economic specialization for specific countries and
global regions.
CARBON FOOTPRINT (CF) - an indicator that have been
used to understand environmental impact.
Carbon footprint has 8 categories :
construction,shelter,food,clothing,mobility,manufactured
goods, services,trade
The Ecocentric Model
*puts the ecosystem first and assumes that the natural
world has intrinsic value.
*Nature is not valued for the future survival of human
species per se but is invaluable in itself. *love, respect, admiration
for nature and a high regard for its value is essential.
*ex. Land is preserved with integrity,stability and beauty
According to study conducted 52% of wildlife population
deteriorated due to hunting and fishing.
It established that the damage is not inevitable but a consequence
of our choices. Accordingly, humanity needs to develop an
“ecological conscience” based on individual responsibility.
Ecologists challenge us to adopt a lifestyle that involves simple
living that honors the right of all life forms to live,flourish and
create a rich diversity of human and non human life. For ecologist,
the right to live and blossom should not just be for human beings
but must be valid to all forms of life.
This belief stems from an awareness of our dependence to other
forms of life, not a master-slave relationship.
EXAMPLES OF ADVOCACIES in preserving the ENVIRONMENT:
1) In 2004, indigenous grandmothers from tribes fromt he Arctic
Circle,Nepal, Tibet helad a meeting and committed themselves to
form an alliance that will embrace prayer, education, and healinf
of Mother Earth.
2) Year 2007, United NAtion’s Declaration grants the indigenous
people the “right to conservation,restoration,and protection of
the total environment and the productive capacity of their lands,
territories and resources as well as the assistance for this purpose
from States and through int’l cooperation.
NOTICE THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN THEIR PROPER PLACE &
ORGANIZE THEM IN AN AESTHETIC WAY.
A. ANCIENT THINKERS
Milesians- Early greek philosophers regarded nature as spatially
without boundaries,that is, as infinite or indefinite in extent.
Anaximander- employed the term “boundless” to convey the
further thought that Nature is indeterminate
- boundless in the sense that no boundaries between the
warm and cold or the moist and dry regions are originally present
within.
CREATION AND DESTRUCTION:
According to Anaximander’s sketch of the genesis of the
world (COSMOGONY) the evolution begins with the generation of
opposites in certain region of Nature: a portion of the boundless
first differentiates itself into a cold moist mass surrounded by a
roughly spherical shell of the warm dry.
The opposite forces caused an imbalanced that necessitated their
ultimate destruction.
LESSON 4: THE HUMAN IN THE ENVIRONMENT
PYTHAGORAS - another ancient philosopher, described the
universe as living embodiment of nature’s order,harmony and
beauty.
He sees our relationship with the universe involving biophilia ( love
of other living things) and cosmophilia ( love of other living beings)
The CHINESE COSMIC CONCEPTION on the other hand, is based
on the assumption that all that happen in the universe is a
continuous whole like a chain of natural consequences
THE YANG and THE YIN - a primeval pair which is the reason
where all events in the universe follow a transitional process
according to Chinese.
In addition, Chines believes that the universe does not proceed
onward but revolves without beginning or end. There is nothing new
under the sun; the “NEW” is a repetition of the old.
Human being’s happiness lies in his conformity with NATURE
or TAO, therefore, conforms with tao and is happy
B. MODERN THINKERS
IMMANUEL KANT - In his 3rd critique, CRITIC OF JUDGEMENT, he
expresses that beauty is ultimately a symbol of morality..
According to him, we must ignore any practical motives or
inclinations that we have and instead contemplate the object without
being distracted by our desires.
He believes that the orderliness of nature and the harmony
of nature with our faculties guide us toward a deeper religious
perspective..
The vision of the world is not limited to knowledge and freedom
or even to faith, in the ordinary sense of the term. It is a SENSE OF
COSMIC HARMONY. \ as the supreme goal of living.
HERBERT MARCUSE -believed that humanity had dominated
nature.There can only be changed if we will change our attitude
towards our perception of the environment.
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD - believed that as human beings, we do
not have only rights but duties. We are not only citizens of the
community but how we react to this community and in our reaction to
it, change it.
* **THEORIES TO SHOW CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT**
A. DEEP ECOLOGY - ecological crisis is an outcome of
anthropocentrism. The controlling attitude of humankind is extended
to nature, where in fact humanity is part of nature.
B. SOCIAL ECOLOGY - ecological crisis results from authoritarian social
structures. Destroying nature is a reflection wherein few people
overpower others while exploiting the environment for profit or self
interest. Social ecologists call for small-scale societies, which recognize
that humanity is linked with the well-being of the natural world in
which human life depends.
C. ECOFEMINISM- argues that ecological crisis is a
consequence of male dominance. In this view, whatever is
“superior” is entitled to whatever is “inferior”.
These theories value the care, conservation, preservation of nature
and humanity.
ERICH FROMM (2013) - A German humanistic Philosopher,
believes that it is about time that humanity ought to recognize
not only itself but also the world around it.
----he added that as human beings, our biological urge for
survival turns into selfishness and laziness.
The human desire to experience union with others is one of the
strongest motivators of human behavior and the other is THE
DESIRE FOR SURVIVAL.
From these two contrary strivings , it follows that social
structure, its values and norms, decides which of the two
becomes dominant.
DEMONSTRATE THE VIRTUE OF PRUDENCE AND
FRUGALITY TOWARD ENVIRONMENT------
Erich Fromm proposed a new society that should encourage
the emergence of new human being that will foster prudence
and moderation or frugality toward environment.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE FUNCTIONS OF FROMM’S
ENVISIONED SOCIETY:
1. The willingness to give up all forms of having in order to fully be.
2. Being fully present where one is
3. Trying to reduce greed,hate, and illusions as much as one is
capable.
4. Making the full growth of oneself and of one’s fellow beings
5. Not deceiving others, but also not being deceived by others;
one may be called innocent but not naive.
6. Freedom that is not arbitrariness but the possibility to be
oneself, not as a bundle of greedy desires, but as a delicately
balanced structure that at any moment is confronted with the
alternatives of growth or decay, life or death.
7. Happiness in the process of ever-growing aliveness,
whatever the furthest point is that fate permits one to
reach, for living as fully as one can is so satisfactory that
the concern for what one might or might not attain has
little chance to develop.
8. Joy that comes from giving and sharing, not from
hoarding and exploiting.
9. Developing one’s capacity for love, together with one’s
capacity for critical,unsentimental thought.
10. Shedding one’s narcissism and accepting that tragic
limitations inherent in human existence.
LESSON 4: THE HUMAN IN THE ENVIRONMENT