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Y. Pan
socialism, democratic socialism and a number of localized socialism, are criticizing
the many flaws of capitalist industrial civilization and exploring for theories and
practices of ecological civilization in the face of global ecological and environmental crisis. Emerging schools like ecological socialism and ecological Marxism
have considerably supplemented traditional socialism by creating a vast room of
imagination regarding how to respond to global ecological crisis. On the other hand,
ecological civilization provides a platform of dialogue for different civilizations, religious beliefs and ideologies. Nowadays many countries are reflecting on traditional
industrial civilization while seeking ecological wisdom from various ancient civilizations. They found that the Christian request for man to respect and protect biological
groups should be made part of the natural law; Islamism takes man as part of nature,
advocates moderate utilization of nature and opposes extravagance; and Hinduism
values the inner spirit and initiated the “Chipko Movement” to practice its ecological
ethics. Similar examples can be found from Chinese civilization as well. While there
is the western mechanical outlook on nature, humanistic view of ethics and dualistic theory of evolution, the Chinese nation believes in a neutral and organic nature,
harmony with nature, and the interaction of man and nature. It is such complementarity that has made ecological civilization a platform of exchanges among different
civilizations beyond time and space. As such, it gives a stronger impetus to rational
exchanges and dialogues in human society by overcoming barriers in system, race,
belief and political ideology.
4 Path of Developing Ecological Civilization with Chinese
Characteristics
1. Comprehensive promotion based on institutional strengths
As a new trend in the world, ecological civilization would have first appeared in developed countries, where ecological crisis broke out first. It hasn’t for three reasons. First,
western countries’ potent technologies and capital mitigated their ecological crisis;
second, the immense inertia of western industrial civilization would continue for a
long time; and third, the capitalist west has continuously transferred ecological cost to
less developed regions and hasn’t become the first to step into ecological civilization
as a whole. This created a chance for the Chinese nation to transform its development
by leaps and bounds. There is no doubt that socialism with Chinese characteristics
has more institutional strengths than capitalism in fundamentally resolving ecological issues. In its Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, ecological civilization is at the same
time an independent sphere and one embedded in political, economic, cultural and
social development. The five spheres serve as each other’s foundation and conditions
through mutual promotion. Economic development lays economic foundation, political development provides institutional guarantee, social development engages plural
Y. Pan
socialism, democratic socialism and a number of localized socialism, are criticizing
the many flaws of capitalist industrial civilization and exploring for theories and
practices of ecological civilization in the face of global ecological and environmental crisis. Emerging schools like ecological socialism and ecological Marxism
have considerably supplemented traditional socialism by creating a vast room of
imagination regarding how to respond to global ecological crisis. On the other hand,
ecological civilization provides a platform of dialogue for different civilizations, religious beliefs and ideologies. Nowadays many countries are reflecting on traditional
industrial civilization while seeking ecological wisdom from various ancient civilizations. They found that the Christian request for man to respect and protect biological
groups should be made part of the natural law; Islamism takes man as part of nature,
advocates moderate utilization of nature and opposes extravagance; and Hinduism
values the inner spirit and initiated the “Chipko Movement” to practice its ecological
ethics. Similar examples can be found from Chinese civilization as well. While there
is the western mechanical outlook on nature, humanistic view of ethics and dualistic theory of evolution, the Chinese nation believes in a neutral and organic nature,
harmony with nature, and the interaction of man and nature. It is such complementarity that has made ecological civilization a platform of exchanges among different
civilizations beyond time and space. As such, it gives a stronger impetus to rational
exchanges and dialogues in human society by overcoming barriers in system, race,
belief and political ideology.
4 Path of Developing Ecological Civilization with Chinese
Characteristics
1. Comprehensive promotion based on institutional strengths
As a new trend in the world, ecological civilization would have first appeared in developed countries, where ecological crisis broke out first. It hasn’t for three reasons. First,
western countries’ potent technologies and capital mitigated their ecological crisis;
second, the immense inertia of western industrial civilization would continue for a
long time; and third, the capitalist west has continuously transferred ecological cost to
less developed regions and hasn’t become the first to step into ecological civilization
as a whole. This created a chance for the Chinese nation to transform its development
by leaps and bounds. There is no doubt that socialism with Chinese characteristics
has more institutional strengths than capitalism in fundamentally resolving ecological issues. In its Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, ecological civilization is at the same
time an independent sphere and one embedded in political, economic, cultural and
social development. The five spheres serve as each other’s foundation and conditions
through mutual promotion. Economic development lays economic foundation, political development provides institutional guarantee, social development engages plural