Environmental ethics: concept, basic principles, problems

In the 21st century, the question of the relationship between man and nature was particularly acute. Too striking were such vital for the continued existence of the planet indicators, such as the state of the ozone layer, the temperature of ocean water, the rate of melting ice, mass extinction of animals, birds, fish and insects.

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

The emergence of environmental ethics

When in the 70s of the last century the ecological crisis was only ripening, scientists in the West reacted to it by creating such a scientific discipline as ecological ethics. The main cause of problems in the environment, according to experts such as D. Pierce, D. Kozlovsky, J. Tinbergen and others - is the withdrawal at some stage in the development of life on the planet in the total absence of human connection with nature.

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

That is why the organizers came to the conclusion that it is impossible to consider existing problems in isolation from studying moral and ethical norms of a person. Only by rooting in people's awareness that they are not the crowns of nature, and its small biological and energy part, it is possible to set up a harmonious relationship between them.

This is what scientific discipline, such as ecological ethics, is doing. Promotion of its values in the minds of most people can qualitatively change life on the planet.

Bases of ecological ethics

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

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

At that time, the world was not dual, that is, divided into nature and man, but was a single whole. At the same time, people collaborated with him, studied and 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 consisted in harmonious interaction with man, with full respect for each other's life. These principles formed the basis of a new ethic.

It also takes into account Schweitzer's doctrine of man's devotion to all living beings and his responsibility for maintaining balance and harmony in the universe. Ecological ethics and moral standards of people should be one and concentrate on the desire to be, not to have. For this to happen, humanity should abandon the ideology of consumption.

Principles of Environmental Ethics

The role of the Club of Rome played a major role in changing views on contemporary problems with ecology. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, at a regular report in the Club of Rome, his President A. Peccei first voiced the notion of ecological culture. The program was associated with the development of the New Humanism, which included the task of a complete transformation of human consciousness.

The basic principles of the new concept were formulated at the international Seoul conference in 1997. The main topic was 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 out the relationship between the environmental crisis and the social unhappiness of people in most countries. Where there are all social, material and spiritual conditions for the full life of citizens, there is no threat to the ecosystem.

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

Law of Nature and Society

This law says that it is impossible to harmonize the coexistence of a rapidly developing human civilization based on consumption, and preserve the natural balance. The growing needs of mankind are met at the expense of the resources of the planet. The life of plants and animals is threatened with extinction.

A change in the current situation is possible only with a decrease in the technical exploitation of natural resources and a change in the people's minds of material values to spiritual values, in which concern for the surrounding world becomes a priority.

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

The condition of 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, since they either do not recover at all, or it takes a large amount of 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. Change the situation can only be reduced people's activities in terms of consumption of natural resources.

The second principle requires the universal restriction of people's activities and the development of the nature of nature to self-recovery. At the same time, in all countries of the world, actions of solidarity on the preservation of natural resources and the creation of additional artificial natural ecosystems should take place.

Commoner's Law

This law confirms the theory that nature rejects something that is alien to it. Although it may be subject to chaos, the cultural environment is destroyed. It can not develop spontaneously, because all living and nonliving in it is interconnected. The disappearance of one species entails the destruction of other systems connected with it.

Preservation of order, as well as 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, the crisis is inevitable.

The third principle, which is revealed by modern ecological ethics - humanity should abandon the consumption of resources beyond those necessary for survival. For this, science must develop mechanisms that can reconcile the relationship between people and nature.

The law of Reimers

An important necessity for all peoples living on the planet is to confront the pollution of the external environment. The best option for realizing this is to create a waste-free production in any industry, but according to the law of Reimers, there is always a side effect from the technogenic impact on nature.

Since the creation of completely non-waste production is impossible, the only way out of the situation can be the widespread management of the ecologization of the economy. To this end, socio-economic bodies must be established to conduct expert examinations during the construction of production facilities or their re-equipment.

The beauty of nature can only be preserved if all countries comply with environmental norms when operating and managing technology.

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

Man's use of natural resources

Throughout the history of mankind, one can trace the close relationship between the use of natural resources by people and the improvement of their quality of life.

If primitive people were content with caves, a fire, a luncheon caught and killed, then in the conduct of a settled life their needs increased. There was a need for deforestation for the construction of houses or the expansion of arable land. Further more.

Today's situation is called overspending of resources of the planet, and the line of non-return to the previous level has already been passed. The only solution to the problem can be to limit human needs for the economical use of natural resources and turn the human mind toward spiritual unity with the world around us.

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

Ethical-worldview problem

The main principle of the existence of mankind should be the definition of its future path on this planet.

Since the ecosystem under severe destruction is not subject to return to its original state, the only salvation of today's situation may be the decision to make the principles of environmental ethics a worldwide heritage.

But in order to avoid the recurrence of the destruction of natural resources, these principles should become part of the culture of every community on Earth. Their introduction into the minds of people is necessary to produce for several generations, so that for the descendants it becomes the norm that the beauty of nature and its safety is their responsibility.

For this, it is required to teach children ecological morality, so that the protection of the world around them becomes a spiritual need.

Lessons in environmental ethics became a vital necessity for the further development of civilization. To do this simply, it is enough to introduce such discipline in schools and universities all over the world.

Anthropocentrism

The concept of anthropocentrism is connected with the doctrine that man is the pinnacle of creation, and all resources and features of nature are created in order for them to rule them.

Such suggestion for many centuries led to an environmental crisis today. Even ancient philosophers argued that animals and plants do not have feelings and exist solely for the sake of satisfying the needs of people.

The conquest of nature among the followers of this concept was welcomed in every possible way, and this gradually led to a crisis of human consciousness. All to control, control and subordinate to everyone are the main principles of anthropocentrism.

Change the situation can only the education of environmental culture in the peoples of all countries. This will also take time, but with the development of information technology, the process of changing consciousness can become reversible in the next generation of people.

Non-anthropocentrism

The basic concept of non-anthropocentrism is the unity of the biosphere with man. 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 ecological ethics

What is needed to change the situation? Environmental ethics as a scientific discipline was not without reason formed during the transition of mankind into the system of the noosphere. For the transition not to be fatal, the following concepts should be considered:

• Every inhabitant of the planet is obliged to know the laws of the development of the biosphere and his place in it.
• On a global scale, the rules of the relationship between man and nature must be adopted.
• Everyone should think about the next generation.
• Each nation must 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 a harmonious development.

Change 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 must be united not only humanity and nature, but also people among themselves.

Getting rid of racial, religious or social differences will be one of the results of a change in the human mindset, aligned with the world around us.