DISORDER VS.

ORDER IN AN ENVIRONMENT
Three Views in Understanding the Relationship of the Human Person to the Environment:
1. ANTHROPOCENTRISM
Focuses on the significant role of humankind in the world and considers nature as the means by which
human are able to meet their needs and survive.

Anthropocentric Model
Human
Culture
Individualism
Mind
Calculative
Human Over/Against Environment
Global/Technological

2. BIOCENTRISM
Believes that humans are not the only significant species on the planet, and all that organisms have
inherent value and would be protected.

3. ECOCENTRISM
Places great value on ecosystem and biological communities. This view believes that humankind is part
of a great biological system community and that we have significant role as stewards or guardians of
nature.

Ecocentric Model
Nature
Wild
Holism
Nature/Cosmos
Body
Relational
Earth/Wisdom
Ecology Over/Against Humans

Ancient Thinkers
1.Anaximander
- nature is “boundless” and indeterminate
no boundaries between warm and cold or moist and dry regions are originally present with it.

2. Pythagoras
- universe is a living embodiment of nature’s order, harmony, and beauty.
- He sees human relationship with the universe as biophilia (love of other living things) and
cosmophilia (love of other living beings)
- Early ecologist

The Chinese view (Taoism)

- All that happens in the universe is a continuous whole like a chain of a natural consequences.
- All the events in the universe follow a transitional process due to primeval pair (yang and yin)
- The universe doe 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 (tao); the wise, therefore, conforms
with tao is happy.
 Modern Thinkers
1. Immanuel Kant
- beauty is ultimately a symbol of morality.
- we must ignore any practical motives or inclinations that we have, instead
contemplate the object without being distracted by our desires.
- the beautiful encourage us to believe that nature and humanity are part of even
bigger design.
- God as the ultimate designer
- Every aspect of the sensible world has its place in a larger purpose.
- He believes that the orderliness of nature and the harmony of nature with our faculties
guide us toward a deeper religious perspective.
2. Herbert Marcuse
- humanity had dominated nature.
- there can only be change if we will change our attitude towards our perception of
the environment.
3. George Herbert Mead
- as human beings, we do not only have rights but duties.
- human are not only citizens of the community but how we react to this community
and in our reaction to it, change it.

Theories on caring the environment

1. Deep Ecology
- ecological crisis is an outcome of anthropocentrism (human controls nature).
Human should not control nature because humanity is part of nature.
- Deep ecologist encourage humanity to be ecocentric.
2. Social Ecology
- ecological crisis results from authoritarian social structures.
- destroying nature is a reflection wherein few people overpower others while
exploiting the environment for self-interest.
- Social ecologist call for small-scale societies which humanity is linked with the well-
being of the natural world in which human life depends.

3. Ecofeminism
- ecological crisis is a consequence of male dominance.
- whatever “superior” is entitled to whatever inferior.
- Nature must be tamed.
- remove superior vs. Inferior
- value the care, conservation, preservation of nature and humanity.

Erich Fromm
- Humanity should recognize not only itself but also the world.
- Humans survival turns into selfishness and laziness.

Two contradictory strivings

1. Human desire to experience union with others (Unity).
2. The desire for survival.
we must decide which of these two to develop.

A new society that should encourage the emergence of a new human being that will foster prudence
and moderation or frugality toward environment.

1. The willingness to give up all forms of having, in order to fully be.

2. Joy that comes from giving and sharing.
3. Making the full growth of oneself and one’s fellow beings.
4. Not deceiving others and being deceived by others.