Ecological Civilization is Not Equal to Green Industrial …
513
resources and technologies available to expand production and consumption, there
isn’t a compromising force to restrain such expansion.
Therefore, in the framework of traditional industrial civilization, technological
progress cannot fundamentally achieve sustainable development, nor can the socalled green industrial civilization. Only by changing the contents of production and
consumption and decouple their growth from environmental damage is it possible to
avoid environmental non-sustainability caused by economic expansion. The only way
for traditional industrial civilization to transform into the so-called green industrial
civilization is through the broader framework of ecological civilization. The postindustrial society generally refers to the post-industrialization of production side as
its consumption side is no different from that of the industrial society, so it cannot
be called a transformation of industrial civilization.
3 Ecological Civilization Marks a Fundamental Change
of Development Pattern
The shift from industrial civilization to ecological civilization is an inevitable choice
in response to the non-sustainability crisis under traditional industrial mode. It indicates a fundamental change in the underlying logic that defines human behaviors,
and the change, which is reflected in vision and value, initiates a profound turnabout
in the development pattern.
The change in underlying logic leads to a change in vision. The relation between
industrial civilization and ecological civilization resembles that between geocentric
theory and heliocentric theory. Economy is a subset in natural ecosystem. Man’s past
knowledge and renovation of the world was mostly undertaken under the narrow
industrial vision and logic, while the impacts imposed by economic activities on
nature are not included in the current analytical architecture of standard economics.
Once put in a broader perspective, many theories, decisions and behaviors under the
narrow economics framework have to be reevaluated, and the cost-profit concept has
to be redefined. Some behaviors that used to be deemed as efficient and cost-effective
don’t remain that way, while new opportunities will be recognized. For instance,
people used to think that the existing industrial mode is most efficient while green
economy is a “luxury” that can only be afforded when economic development reaches
a certain level. This conclusion would nevertheless be rewritten when reviewed in
a new perspective—green economy is most efficient and the existing development
mode is too costly.
The change in underlying logic leads to a change in value. This means the standards
for a “good life” and modernization have to be redefined. The development of human
society is driven by the pursuit for a happy and good life, but the definition of a
happy and good life varies in different concepts or value systems, thus resulting in
different contents of development. As mentioned earlier, the shift from agricultural
civilization to industrial civilization is a process of paving the way for mass industrial
513
resources and technologies available to expand production and consumption, there
isn’t a compromising force to restrain such expansion.
Therefore, in the framework of traditional industrial civilization, technological
progress cannot fundamentally achieve sustainable development, nor can the socalled green industrial civilization. Only by changing the contents of production and
consumption and decouple their growth from environmental damage is it possible to
avoid environmental non-sustainability caused by economic expansion. The only way
for traditional industrial civilization to transform into the so-called green industrial
civilization is through the broader framework of ecological civilization. The postindustrial society generally refers to the post-industrialization of production side as
its consumption side is no different from that of the industrial society, so it cannot
be called a transformation of industrial civilization.
3 Ecological Civilization Marks a Fundamental Change
of Development Pattern
The shift from industrial civilization to ecological civilization is an inevitable choice
in response to the non-sustainability crisis under traditional industrial mode. It indicates a fundamental change in the underlying logic that defines human behaviors,
and the change, which is reflected in vision and value, initiates a profound turnabout
in the development pattern.
The change in underlying logic leads to a change in vision. The relation between
industrial civilization and ecological civilization resembles that between geocentric
theory and heliocentric theory. Economy is a subset in natural ecosystem. Man’s past
knowledge and renovation of the world was mostly undertaken under the narrow
industrial vision and logic, while the impacts imposed by economic activities on
nature are not included in the current analytical architecture of standard economics.
Once put in a broader perspective, many theories, decisions and behaviors under the
narrow economics framework have to be reevaluated, and the cost-profit concept has
to be redefined. Some behaviors that used to be deemed as efficient and cost-effective
don’t remain that way, while new opportunities will be recognized. For instance,
people used to think that the existing industrial mode is most efficient while green
economy is a “luxury” that can only be afforded when economic development reaches
a certain level. This conclusion would nevertheless be rewritten when reviewed in
a new perspective—green economy is most efficient and the existing development
mode is too costly.
The change in underlying logic leads to a change in value. This means the standards
for a “good life” and modernization have to be redefined. The development of human
society is driven by the pursuit for a happy and good life, but the definition of a
happy and good life varies in different concepts or value systems, thus resulting in
different contents of development. As mentioned earlier, the shift from agricultural
civilization to industrial civilization is a process of paving the way for mass industrial