CHAPTER 4: THE

HUMAN PERSON IN
HIS/HER
ENVIRONMENT
NO MAN IS AN ISLAND, ENTIRE SELF;
EVERY MAN IS PIECE OF THE
CONTINENT, A PART OF THE MAIN.”

-JOHN DONNE
LESSON 1: APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE HUMAN PERSON
WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

“you think you own whatever land you land

on. The earth is just a dead thing you can
claim. But I know that every rock and sea
creature has a life, has a spirit, has an
name”
-Stephen Schwartz, colors of the wind
1. COSMOS-CENTRIC APPROACH

THE WHOLE OF THE COSMOS

IS ONE WHOLE SYSTEM OF
ORDER OF WHICH WE ARE A
PART. EARLY GREEK AND
CHINESE PHILOSOPHERS HAVE
ARTICULATED THIS HARMONY IN
THEIR POETRY AND
REFLECTIONS.
 The human person can also affect the
balance in the environment. If there is too
much Yang in the person (meaning there is
too much expenditure of energy such as
aggression, greed, vanity, and other forms of
imbalance), the surrounding environment
suffers as well.
•If there is too much Yin (indifference,
idleness, or laziness) there is no regard
for the preservation of earth’s resources.
We simply watch and wait for everything
to self-destruct.
•the human beings are a microcosm of the
cosmos (‘micro” – small + ‘cosmos’ –
universe). It means that the universe is
reflected in us; we are a small version of
the universe. The same cosmic patterns
that govern nature also govern our being.
 2. THEOCENTRIC APPROACH
• Theo(god)-centric approach refers to an understanding coming
from a religious interpretation. This especially applies to the Judeo-
Christian tradition as specified in the creation story.
• The creation story tells of how god entrusted the earth to man and
woman by giving them the role of stewards of creation.
• It is important to stess the meaning of steward here in order to
prevent the tendency of interpreting scripture, “…fill the earth and
subdue it,” as a welcome note to dominate and completely lord
over the environment.
• This is the main content of the recent encyclical
laudato si of pope francis: “…we must forcefully reject
the notion that our being created in god’s image and
given domination over the earth justifies absolute
domination over the creatures.”
• We are not just consumer of earth’s resources. We are
it’s co-creators.
 3. THE ANTHROPOCENTRIC
APPROACH
• This approach, Anthropos (man) + centric, is like the
theocentric approach that puts the human person in
dominion over the earth, but deemphasizes the role
of god. this dominant approach began in the
sixteenth century in Europe and has become the
most widely used all over the world until today.
• It started with the rise of experimental sciences.
• Astrologists in the past were the opposite od
modern scientists. They simply observed the
movement of heavenly bodies and from
there deduced patterns that they encoded
into laws of nature. Today the sciences are
not simply passive observers of nature, they
penetrate into its secrets.
 PHARMACEUTICAL
SCIENCES TEST THEIR
MEDICINES AGAINST A
PLACEBO IN ORDER TO
SEE HOW MUCH THE
INVENTED PILL ALTERS
EXISTING CONDITIONS.
• The development of experimental science has made the human
being aware that can detach himself from the ongoing cycle of nature
and thereby control it. No longer is the human being simply
vulnerable to dictates of nature.
• Natural calamities such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods can be
controlled to some extent.
• The natural aging of the skin, or the shape of one’s body parts,
among others, can also be altered. With the awareness of this ability
came the dissipation of the power of myth to take control of our daily
lives. Modern individuals are aware that they can be in control of
their own fate. They can alter their life directions based on their own
choices
•THE DOWNSIDE OF RISE OF MODERN
SCIENCES IS THE SWELLING OF THE
HUMAN BEING’S PRIDE OVER HIS OWN
POWERS TO ALTER AND MANIPULATE
NATURE.
 BALANCED APPROACH
Learning from all these approaches, we can see that
it is possible to put them all together. The cosmos-centric
approach emphasizes on the human being as a balance
between heaven and earth. This relates to the
anthropocentric approach which shows how we are
earthly beings in need of resources, and the theocentric
approach that emphasizes on our heavenly role as
stewards of creation.
OUR GOAL NOW IS TO ASSESS
OUR OWN SELVES AND FIND
THE RIGHT APPROACH IN
DEALING WITH NATURE IN
ORDER TO SAVE WHATEVER
IS LEFT OF IT, BEFORE IT IS
TOO LATE.