487310
Ecology and Religion
- Lynn White Jr essay - Judeo Christian tradition
responsible for current environmental crisis
- Peter Singer: Practical
Ethics, 1979
- The Western Tradition: culture/nature
- based on Hebrew & Greek traditions both
make human beings center of the
moral universe
- (Gen 1: 26 -30): let them have dominion over the fish of the
sea, and over the fowl in the air, and over the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepth upon the earth
- Thomas Aquinas melded Christian
and Greek traditions; Aristotle's
theory that those with less reasoning
ability exist for the sake of those with
more
- Aquinas: no possibility of sinning against
non human animals or the natural world;
only against neighbor and God
- some gentler e.g. Francis of Assisi;
but above dominant view
- some gentler e.g. Francis of Assisi;
but above dominant view
- Aquinas: no possibility of sinning against
non human animals or the natural world;
only against neighbor and God
- (Gen 1: 26 -30): let them have dominion over the fish of the
sea, and over the fowl in the air, and over the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepth upon the earth
- debate of meaning of 'dominion'
- to look after in the name of God...?
- but biblical floods; 'And the fear of you
and the dread of you shall be upon
every beast of the earth'; to act in a
way that causes fear is not improper
- 'Doth god care for oxen?' asked
Paul; rhetorical; ofc not!
- to look after in the name of God...?
- humans centered moral framework;
nature has no intrinsic
value
- but does not rule out preservation for the sake
of human benefit; couches conservation in
terms of effect on humans
- future generations argument
- but does not rule out preservation for the sake
of human benefit; couches conservation in
terms of effect on humans
- based on Hebrew & Greek traditions both
make human beings center of the
moral universe
- The Western Tradition: culture/nature
- A Jewish Perspective:
Tirosh - Samuelson,
2005
- why is there a limited interest in
environmentalism in Judaism?
- 'saving the whales is not a Jewish issue' Conservative Rabbi; focus
resources on securing Israel and future of Jewish people instead
- 'saving the whales is not a Jewish issue' Conservative Rabbi; focus
resources on securing Israel and future of Jewish people instead
- why is there a limited interest in
environmentalism in Judaism?
- desacrilization and instrumentalisation
of nature >> 'burden of guilt'
- Peter Singer: Practical
Ethics, 1979
- Seyyed Hossein Nasr: 'crisis of values';
religions being the primary source of values
are implicated for decisions re environment
- Schama:
Landscape &
Memory
- 'nature' as cultural construct
- 'landscape is the work of the mind. Its
scenery is built as much from strata of
memory as from layers of rock'
- the act of naming the 'wilderness'
presupposes human presence; the
wilderness does not locate or name itself
- world = we see it as outside ourselves
but it is only a representation of what we
experience inside (Margritte, 1938)
- 'landscape is the work of the mind. Its
scenery is built as much from strata of
memory as from layers of rock'
- 'nature' as cultural construct
- religion as tool?
- WWF conference 1986
- 5 major world religions; expanded to 9
- teachings on how their religions
were related to conservation
- held in Assisi
- held in Assisi
- teachings on how their religions
were related to conservation
- 5 major world religions; expanded to 9
- Prince Phillip: Alliance of Religions
and Conservation
- emphase pro environmental aspects of religion
- emphase pro environmental aspects of religion
- WWF conference 1986
- Confucianism: force for greener China?
- International Confucian Ecology Alliance est 2013
- working with Chinese gov to deliver 100 lectures on the subject
- creating model village of good practice
- annual Confucian festival of Qing Ming; 300 mil
pilgrims; aim to tackle littering and burnt offerings
- annual Confucian festival of Qing Ming; 300 mil
pilgrims; aim to tackle littering and burnt offerings
- creating model village of good practice
- working with Chinese gov to deliver 100 lectures on the subject
- almost completely
eradicated in Cultural
Revolution; recent
revival; moral force
- International Confucian Ecology Alliance est 2013
- Hambler - 2004
- utilitarian vs non
utilitarian answers to
'why conserve?'
- utilitarian vs non
utilitarian answers to
'why conserve?'
- demography
- population growth huge strain
- 'go forth and multiply' Judaism pronataist; Christianity pronatalist (monks,
nuns, no sex outside of marriage, no contraception)
- ARTs
- population growth huge strain
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