Ecologism
Ecology - Haeckel 1866 - studies the relationship among living organisms and their environment,
but increasingly used as a political term by the growing green movement.
Ecologism/ green politics is based on the belief that nature is an interconnected whole, embracing
humans and non-humans, as well as the inanimate world.
Origins and Development:
- reaction against industrialisation
- nostalgia for idealised rural existence - Thomas Hardy, William Morris, Peter Kropotkin
- fear that economic growth is endangering the survival of human race and planet
Thinkers:
1. Rachel Carson - The Silent Spring - critique of damage done to wildlife by pesticides - developing
ecological crisis
2. Ehrlich and Harriman - How to be a Survivor
3. Goldsmith - et al.’s Blueprint for Survival
- green activist pressure groups e.g. Greenpeace have raised profile and influence of green
movement
- environmental issues is now major focus of politics and international concern - ‘sustainable
development’ - Brundtland Report 1987
Core Themes: Return to Nature
- 1970s
- environmentalism - concern about natural environment and particularly about reducing
environmental degradation - political orientation
- ecologism - ideological stance
- Ehrenfeld - ‘arrogance of humanism’ - humans have sought to become ‘the masters and possessors
of nature’ (John Locke) - anthropocentric view - moral priority to humans’ needs
- sets out to transform human consciousness and reconfigure moral responsibilities to the ‘world
out there’
1. Ecology
2. Holism
3. Sustainablility
4. Environmental ethics
5. from having to being
1. Ecology
- central principle for ecologists
- growing recognition that plants and animals are sustained by self-regulating natural systems -
which contain both biotic and abiotic factors
- Homeostasis: ecosystems tend towards state of internal equilibrium through self regulation
- Natural world is made up of complex web of ecosystems which are not ‘closed’ or entirely self-
regulating
, - suggests a delicate network of interrelationships sustain each human community
Environmental disaster is possible due the upset of the ‘balance of nature’ through…
1. rapid growth of population
2. decrease in irreplaceable fuel resources e.g. oil, coal
3. deforestation - help to clean air and regulate climate
4. pollution of water and air
5. use of chemicals/hormones to food
6. threat to biodiversity/ species extinction from dominance of human species
Favours ecocentrism and challenges anthropocentrism (human needs over environment).
Arne Naess: ‘Shallow’ & ‘Deep’
Shallow ecology Deep ecology
accepts lessons of ecology, uses them to further gives priority to maintenance of nature, human
human needs purpose to sustain nature
Sustainability and conservation biocentric equality, diversity and decentralisation
light’ or ‘enlightened’ anthropocentrism rejects anthropocentrism - not superior
‘weak ecologism’ ‘strong ecologism’
2. Holism
A belief that the whole is more important than its parts; implies understanding is gained by
studying relationships among the parts (Jan Smuts)
- Decartes and Newton - portrayed world as a machine, whose parts could be analysed and
understood through scientific method (17th Cent.)
- Capra: ‘Casrtesian-Newtonian paradigm’ - science treats nature as a machine, can be tinkered
with - ‘Newtonian world-machine’ must be overthrown and replaced by a new paradigm
- Smuts: science separates everything it studies to separate parts and understand each part in itself
vs holism each part only has meaning in relation to other part
Modern science may offer a new paradigm for human thought:
Einstein’s theory taken further by Bohr and Heisenberg - system/ network of systems (collection of
parts that operate through a network of reciprocal interactions and thereby constitute a complex
whole).
- stresses relationships within the system and integration of various elements within the whole.
Religion:
Capra: The Tao of Physics - religions e.g. Hinduism, Taoism have preached unity/ oneness of all
things - gives expression to ecological wisdom and a way of life that encourages compassion for
other human beings and natural world.
Ecology - Haeckel 1866 - studies the relationship among living organisms and their environment,
but increasingly used as a political term by the growing green movement.
Ecologism/ green politics is based on the belief that nature is an interconnected whole, embracing
humans and non-humans, as well as the inanimate world.
Origins and Development:
- reaction against industrialisation
- nostalgia for idealised rural existence - Thomas Hardy, William Morris, Peter Kropotkin
- fear that economic growth is endangering the survival of human race and planet
Thinkers:
1. Rachel Carson - The Silent Spring - critique of damage done to wildlife by pesticides - developing
ecological crisis
2. Ehrlich and Harriman - How to be a Survivor
3. Goldsmith - et al.’s Blueprint for Survival
- green activist pressure groups e.g. Greenpeace have raised profile and influence of green
movement
- environmental issues is now major focus of politics and international concern - ‘sustainable
development’ - Brundtland Report 1987
Core Themes: Return to Nature
- 1970s
- environmentalism - concern about natural environment and particularly about reducing
environmental degradation - political orientation
- ecologism - ideological stance
- Ehrenfeld - ‘arrogance of humanism’ - humans have sought to become ‘the masters and possessors
of nature’ (John Locke) - anthropocentric view - moral priority to humans’ needs
- sets out to transform human consciousness and reconfigure moral responsibilities to the ‘world
out there’
1. Ecology
2. Holism
3. Sustainablility
4. Environmental ethics
5. from having to being
1. Ecology
- central principle for ecologists
- growing recognition that plants and animals are sustained by self-regulating natural systems -
which contain both biotic and abiotic factors
- Homeostasis: ecosystems tend towards state of internal equilibrium through self regulation
- Natural world is made up of complex web of ecosystems which are not ‘closed’ or entirely self-
regulating
, - suggests a delicate network of interrelationships sustain each human community
Environmental disaster is possible due the upset of the ‘balance of nature’ through…
1. rapid growth of population
2. decrease in irreplaceable fuel resources e.g. oil, coal
3. deforestation - help to clean air and regulate climate
4. pollution of water and air
5. use of chemicals/hormones to food
6. threat to biodiversity/ species extinction from dominance of human species
Favours ecocentrism and challenges anthropocentrism (human needs over environment).
Arne Naess: ‘Shallow’ & ‘Deep’
Shallow ecology Deep ecology
accepts lessons of ecology, uses them to further gives priority to maintenance of nature, human
human needs purpose to sustain nature
Sustainability and conservation biocentric equality, diversity and decentralisation
light’ or ‘enlightened’ anthropocentrism rejects anthropocentrism - not superior
‘weak ecologism’ ‘strong ecologism’
2. Holism
A belief that the whole is more important than its parts; implies understanding is gained by
studying relationships among the parts (Jan Smuts)
- Decartes and Newton - portrayed world as a machine, whose parts could be analysed and
understood through scientific method (17th Cent.)
- Capra: ‘Casrtesian-Newtonian paradigm’ - science treats nature as a machine, can be tinkered
with - ‘Newtonian world-machine’ must be overthrown and replaced by a new paradigm
- Smuts: science separates everything it studies to separate parts and understand each part in itself
vs holism each part only has meaning in relation to other part
Modern science may offer a new paradigm for human thought:
Einstein’s theory taken further by Bohr and Heisenberg - system/ network of systems (collection of
parts that operate through a network of reciprocal interactions and thereby constitute a complex
whole).
- stresses relationships within the system and integration of various elements within the whole.
Religion:
Capra: The Tao of Physics - religions e.g. Hinduism, Taoism have preached unity/ oneness of all
things - gives expression to ecological wisdom and a way of life that encourages compassion for
other human beings and natural world.
