536
F. Lu
for infinite progress and the questioning of infinite conquest of nature, he believed a
new age was about to emerge.
Although it was a western scholar who initiated the idea of “ecological civilization,” very few western scholars have so far used this idea or considered studies
of it important. One of these few is John B. Cobb, Jr., a familiar name for many
Chinese today. He has said many times that man can only avoid the fate of extinction
by embracing ecological civilization, and the hope of ecological civilization is in
China.
Arran Gare from the Swinburne University of Technology, Australia is another
of the few western scholars who believed ecological civilization was the future.
According to him, the crisis we are facing featuring massive environmental problems
is a crisis of modern western civilization, and to get out of this crisis, a radical enlightenment is needed. The enlightenment will resort to the process-relational metaphysics
supported by post-reductionist natural philosophy and science, and place mankind in
a situation where they, through history, realize self-creation of human nature within
nature and move toward a new civilization. In this process, the destructive conflicts
between clans, civilizations and nations will be overcome, and the whole mankind
will be asked to promote a healthy global ecosystem and admit that human community should succumb to this ecosystem. The purpose of this radical enlightenment
should be understood as the development of a global ecological civilization.
American scholar Roy Morrison also recognizes ecological civilization and views
it as the civilization of the future. He called his Ecological Democracy published in
1995 a book about the “fundamental reform” “from industrial civilization to ecological civilization,” in which he poignantly criticized industrialism and industrial civilization. In his opinion, industrial civilization is non-sustainable not only because
of its commitment to unlimited growth, but also of its inherent proclivity for war.
Ecological civilization, however, is based on a variety of lifestyles that sustain the
interrelated natural ecology and social ecology. Such a civilization has two essential traits. First, it takes human life as the same as the thriving biosphere, which is
dynamic, sustainable and balanced. Man and nature are not in opposition. Man lives
in nature. Second, ecological civilization reflects a fundamental reform of human
lifestyle, which depends on our ability to opt for a new society. Roy Morrison said
naming a civilization was raising a flag. Developing an ecological civilization is a
great reform that is as significant as the transformation from agricultural civilization
to industrial civilization.
There are other western scholars who also recognize ecological civilization, but
they are only a small group as a whole.
The first scholar initiating this concept in China might be Mr. Ye Qianji. He delivered a report titled On Ecological Civilization at the conference on water and soil
conservation in the Three Gorges reservoir area held in the second half of 1986.
His article “Ecological Needs and Ecological Civilization” was collected in Ecological Agriculture in China edited by Guo Shutian and published by China Prospect
Publishing House in 1988. In that article, he wrote that “ecological civilization means
man benefits from nature and benefits nature in return; man changes and protects
nature simultaneously. They are in a relation of harmonious unity.” “The proposition
F. Lu
for infinite progress and the questioning of infinite conquest of nature, he believed a
new age was about to emerge.
Although it was a western scholar who initiated the idea of “ecological civilization,” very few western scholars have so far used this idea or considered studies
of it important. One of these few is John B. Cobb, Jr., a familiar name for many
Chinese today. He has said many times that man can only avoid the fate of extinction
by embracing ecological civilization, and the hope of ecological civilization is in
China.
Arran Gare from the Swinburne University of Technology, Australia is another
of the few western scholars who believed ecological civilization was the future.
According to him, the crisis we are facing featuring massive environmental problems
is a crisis of modern western civilization, and to get out of this crisis, a radical enlightenment is needed. The enlightenment will resort to the process-relational metaphysics
supported by post-reductionist natural philosophy and science, and place mankind in
a situation where they, through history, realize self-creation of human nature within
nature and move toward a new civilization. In this process, the destructive conflicts
between clans, civilizations and nations will be overcome, and the whole mankind
will be asked to promote a healthy global ecosystem and admit that human community should succumb to this ecosystem. The purpose of this radical enlightenment
should be understood as the development of a global ecological civilization.
American scholar Roy Morrison also recognizes ecological civilization and views
it as the civilization of the future. He called his Ecological Democracy published in
1995 a book about the “fundamental reform” “from industrial civilization to ecological civilization,” in which he poignantly criticized industrialism and industrial civilization. In his opinion, industrial civilization is non-sustainable not only because
of its commitment to unlimited growth, but also of its inherent proclivity for war.
Ecological civilization, however, is based on a variety of lifestyles that sustain the
interrelated natural ecology and social ecology. Such a civilization has two essential traits. First, it takes human life as the same as the thriving biosphere, which is
dynamic, sustainable and balanced. Man and nature are not in opposition. Man lives
in nature. Second, ecological civilization reflects a fundamental reform of human
lifestyle, which depends on our ability to opt for a new society. Roy Morrison said
naming a civilization was raising a flag. Developing an ecological civilization is a
great reform that is as significant as the transformation from agricultural civilization
to industrial civilization.
There are other western scholars who also recognize ecological civilization, but
they are only a small group as a whole.
The first scholar initiating this concept in China might be Mr. Ye Qianji. He delivered a report titled On Ecological Civilization at the conference on water and soil
conservation in the Three Gorges reservoir area held in the second half of 1986.
His article “Ecological Needs and Ecological Civilization” was collected in Ecological Agriculture in China edited by Guo Shutian and published by China Prospect
Publishing House in 1988. In that article, he wrote that “ecological civilization means
man benefits from nature and benefits nature in return; man changes and protects
nature simultaneously. They are in a relation of harmonious unity.” “The proposition