The Ethics In Ecological Civilization Age.doc

1、1The Ethics In Ecological Civilization AgeAbstract. The main characteristic of environmental ethics is the objects of human morality extend from the people and social fields to life and nature. The basic question is to confirm the value of life and nature, confirm the rights of life and nature. Only

2、 in this way can we respect natural, protect natural and ensure the sustainable use of nature. Environmental ethics first emerged in the West, come up whit two main points and four main factions. It researches the relationship of people and the relationship between human and society from different a

3、ngles. Key words: Environmental ethics; Occident Life; Natural INTRODUCTION Modern ethics is social ethics, it is a moral study about the relationship between man and man, man and society. It does not involve the relationship between human and life and nature, because life and nature is considered t

4、o be of no value. They are just objects to human beings, so we do not need to their morality. It argues that only people in the world have value so we only tell people about morality. Under capitalism, the only 2measure of success is how much more is sold every day, every week, every year involving

5、the creation of vast quantities of products that are directly harmful to both humans and nature, commodities that cannot be produced without spreading disease, destroying the forests that produce the oxygen we breathe, demolishing ecosystems, and treating our water, air and soil like sewers for the

6、disposal of industrial waste.Capitalisms need for growth exists on every level, from the individual enterprise to the system as a whole. 1The discerning academic thinkers realized that human behavior has been excessive damage to life and nature, so we need a new ethical concept to constrain the huma

7、n activity to life and natural, adjust the relationship between human and nature, then present the problem of ethics. Since the middle of the 20th century, Western environmental ethics has two main points of view and four main factions. The traditional pan moralism attempts to extends outward people

8、 centered ethics to future generations, non-human animals, all sentient life, even give moral recognition and protection for the whole of nature. However, the kind of care and moral recognition are completely because their good for human beings. 3In this view, if does not involve the evaluation subj

9、ect, the nature has no value at all, because only human has value.Environmental holism based on Ecological Science, centered on ecology. It thinks that non-human creatures and nature have intrinsic value because Ecology thought that all forms of life have relativity, they are interconnected and inte

10、rdependent, and they depend on the basic process such as photosynthesis. Combined with human and ecological law have become the primary rules. Ecology is a kind of ethics. Environmental holists think that the ecological environment problem is essentially the problem of mans idea. The primary task of

11、 environmental philosophy is that we should thorough cleaning the internal level from ontology to value and ethics. This requirement clearly could not have got support from orthodox tradition philosophy.Actually, They are not going to get support from the orthodox philosophy too. Because theyve foun

12、d the appropriate notes from the ecological point of view,the notes support their points better than philosophy in a large part. In twentieth Century, the ecology revealed a natural picture which is totally different from the industrial age.Its central idea is the integrity and the connection. This

13、view of nature is called Holism,it constitute the most 4important theoretical basis that the environmental holists reflect the ecological crisis, critical the values of anthropocentrism theory.Ecology is known as the “subversive science“ because it can provide the value foundation for social and cul

14、tural criticism.In this sense,the word “ecology“ in the west often equated with any environmental movement to ecology based on the ecological thoughts.2 Modern anthropocentrism, the main representatives are the United States botanist Mott and the United States philosopher Norton et al. In their opin

15、ion, the roots of environmental crisis is not anthropocentrism, it is a cultural crisis. It is entirely correct that we believe in the value of human and the creation of the peoples great potential. People put forward the human moral responsibility for the environment problem mainly due to the conce

16、rn for human survival and social development; it is because that the survival of human must rely on nature. This is a fact, we protect nature is to protect our own interests. The consequences of environmental crisis suggest that what we do to nature will finally give back to ourselves. Anthropocentr

17、ism based on the human interests and needs, but not everyones interest and need is reasonable. Human morality needs to restrict the unreasonable aspects. The human moral 5concern is due to human happiness depends on the environment quality. Natural environment is the method human to achieve their go

18、als and value. That is to say, people give non-human creatures and the whole nature moral concern, recognition and protection; assume the moral responsibility for life and nature. This is because the protection of life and nature is to protect ourselves, and it is to care for the interests of human

19、beings and future generations.3 Animal liberation or animal rights theory of environmental ethics, also called the ethics of feeling respect. The main representative is Australian philosopher Singer. He advocated the liberation of animal, given animal equal rights. In his opinion, moral boundary sho

20、uld be painted on the existence of sentient. As long as its existence can feel miserable, it should have the qualification to be the object of moral rights. He argues that all animals are equal. However, this is not to say that people and animals have the same rights, the rights of people and animal

21、s are distinct. Differential equality, which means the basic principle of equality is “equal of concern”. Biocentrism of environmental ethics, is a kind of concept that organism has its own “good”. So it is a theory of environmental ethics which advocated expanded the range of 6moral objects to non-

22、human creatures. The main representatives are French thinker Schwyz and the United States environmental philosophers Taylor, etc. Schwyz put forward the ethics of reverence for life. He said thatIn essence, what the awe of life required is consistent with the ethical principles of love. Just because

23、 the awe of life itself contains love commands and reasons, and to sympathize with all living creatures.For this reason, it is not only to expand the scope of ethics, but also a change of ethics nature. He argues that. The principle of the ethics of respect for life is” Good is to maintain life, pro

24、mote life, makes the development of life to achieve its highest value; Evil is the destruction of life, injury life, suppress the development of life. This is inevitable, universal and absolute ethical principles.”4 Taylor put forward the idea of “biological egalitarian ethics“. He has three main po

25、ints. All creatures are inherently resisting entropy increase process, in order to maintain the organization of their own, to maintain their own survival. Life has identity. Maintain their own survival, is the center of all organisms life purpose. This is the intrinsic value of the organism and the

26、organisms “good“. Although different organisms have different ways of self-organization, maintain survival in their 7own ways, but they have the same intrinsic value. So they have the equal rights of moral. They deserve moral recognition, care and protection.5 Ecological centralism environmental eth

27、ics theory thinks, the species and the ecosystem as a whole is more important than individual organisms and has moral priority. It advocates a holism environmental ethics thought. The main representatives are Leopold and Ralston. Leopold thinks that “The earth ethics merely expanding the boundary of

28、 community, include land, water, plants and animals in it, or take all these as a complete set: the earth.” He put forward the concept of “earth community “.He said”the earth is a community. This is a fundamental concept of ecology. The earth is lovely and should be respected. This is an extension o

29、f ethics” He argues that. Ethics code of ethics, not only need to adjust the relationship of the people, or the relationship between people and society, but also need to adjust the relationship between the human and the earth (nature). We should expand the moral right to animals, plants, soil, water

30、 and other natural entities, to confirm their rights to remain in a nature state. The biological and nature deserve the rights. “The earth ethics change the status of human. He 8translates from the conqueror of the earth into the ordinary one and citizens. This means that human beings should not onl

31、y respect his life companion, but also with the same attitude to respect the Earth Society”. ”From the angle of what is moral, what is the moral right, and what is the means of dealing with economic to test every question. When one thing that contribute to the conservation of biological communitys h

32、armonious, stable and beautiful, it is right. When it comes to the opposite, it is wrong.” This is the fundamental moral principles of the earth ethics. In Leopolds opinion, this principle of moral is that. “From the point of ecology theory. It is to limit the freedom of survival competition; from t

33、he point of philosophy, it is to identify the behavior of social and antisocial.” 6 Environmental ethics is the theory of thought and practice. It talks about the ethical beliefs, moral attitudes and the code of conduct about the relationship between man and nature. Environmental ethics is a new eth

34、ics, which show respect to natural value and natural rights. According to the rule of the interaction between human and nature the modern science reveals, environmental ethics with moral means from the whole angles to coordinate the social relationship between people, the 9ecological relationship be

35、tween man and nature, construct an ecological civilization，make human and nature stay in harmony.The main characteristic of environmental ethics is expanding the range of moral objects, from the relationship between people, people and society field, extended to the fields of the relationship between

36、 man and nature. Therefore, environmental ethics think that two crucial concepts need to be changed.The concepts of ethics “proper behavior“ should extend from people and society to life and nature. Call for concern and respect for life and nature itself. When a thing tends to protect the integrity,

37、 stability, and beauty of the biological community, it is right. Otherwise, it is wrong. The concept of moral rights must be from interests of people and society, to expand to the interest of life and nature. Confirm the entity and process of life and nature, to ensure their rights continue to exist

38、 in a state of nature. At the same time, with the expansion of moral objects and peoples moral activities, Peoples moral concept has changed(Moral principles, code of ethic, moral standard and moral goals).All that develop a new ethicsEnvironmental ethics. The fundamental problems of environmental e

39、thics perform on the two basic points, theory and practice. In theory, its 10theoretical requirement is two points. Establishment of the theory of life and nature value“natural value theory”. This is the basic theory of environmental ethics. It says that, people have value; life and nature has value

40、 too, including its extrinsic value and intrinsic value. The extrinsic value of life and nature is at the level of culture, it has commercial and non-commercial value to people. That is, tool. The intrinsic value of life and nature is at the level of life and nature. Creatures survive according to t

41、he ecological law. This survival is reasonable and meaningful, so it has intrinsic value. Establishment of the theory of life and nature right“natural value right”. This is from the natural value confirmation to natural rights confirmation: Life and nature has the intrinsic value. Thus it is necessa

42、ry to respect, and thus has a right to exist. The theory of “moral right” extends from human to life and nature. Confirm the life and nature right to exist continuously in a natural state. We called it “natural right”. It has two aspects of content. The first point, the survival interests of life and nature. We should respect their survival rights. The second point, the rights of life and nature present a challenge to the behavior of the infringement of their rights. Life and nature present a