Toward a New Civilization: Ecological Civilization …
537
of ecological civilization turns activities of material development into activities of
reforming and protecting nature. Cultural advancement should foster comradeship
between man and man as well as partnership between man and nature.”
Ye Qianji’s definition of “ecological civilization” obviously differs from that given
by Fetscher. In the 1980s, China proposed to build socialist material civilization and
cultural civilization, and Ye’s proposition of ecological civilization was intended to
make up for deficiencies of the above two ideas. In the context then, the society
consisted of two parts—material civilization and cultural civilization, but Mr. Ye
thought that was not enough and ecological civilization had to be added to make a
complete society. According to him, material civilization, cultural civilization and
ecological civilization are synchronic dimensions (some call them elements) of a
civilized society. Today, political civilization and social civilization are added to
the system too, driving the number of synchronic dimensions to five. Fetscher didn’t
mean “ecological civilization” in this sense, but in a diachronic sense, namely ecological civilization is a new social state, whose emergence and development constitute
a new age. The difference in Fetscher’s and Mr. Ye’s definition cannot be neglected.
Only Fetscher’s diachronic “ecological civilization” marks a new age in the historical
sense.
Before the strategy of building an ecological civilization was officially put forth
by the 17th National Congress of the CPC in 2007, very few scholars in China studied
this topic.
In 1990, Li Shaodong published an article titled “On Ecological Awareness and
Ecological Civilization” in the Journal of Southwest Minzu University (Philosophy
and Social Sciences). The article defines civilization as a state of progress in material
and cultural development that stands opposite to barbarism, ugliness and backwardness. Ecological civilization tries to introduce the rational perception of ecological environment and its positive practices into cultural development as an important component. Ecological civilization comprises a pure ecological morality, lofty
ecological ideal, scientific ecological culture and civilized ecological behaviors. To
develop ecological civilization, it is necessary to have a clear guiding thought, intensify the communication of ecological knowledge, foster a favorable social environment and establish an institution for it. Li Shaodong’s definition is consistent with
that given by Mr. Ye—ecological civilization is a “state of progress” opposed to
“barbarism, ugliness and backwardness” that man demonstrates in how they treated
the ecological environment. It is parallel with material civilization and cultural
civilization and penetrates those two.
In 1992, Xie Guangqian published “An Initial Study of Socialist Ecological Civilization” in Socialism Studies; in 1993, Shen Xiaohui published “Toward Ecological
Civilization” in Solar Energy and Liu Zongchao and Liu Yuesheng published “Global
Ecological Civilization: Earth Surface Information Proliferation Pattern” in Chinese
Journal of Nature. Shen Xiaohui held that major ancient agricultural civilizations
all declined because of the degradation of natural system and the destruction of
eco-balance between man and environment. But ecological destruction in history
was after all local, so was the fading away of civilization. When civilization in one
place declined or vanished, new civilization would emerge and evolve elsewhere.
537
of ecological civilization turns activities of material development into activities of
reforming and protecting nature. Cultural advancement should foster comradeship
between man and man as well as partnership between man and nature.”
Ye Qianji’s definition of “ecological civilization” obviously differs from that given
by Fetscher. In the 1980s, China proposed to build socialist material civilization and
cultural civilization, and Ye’s proposition of ecological civilization was intended to
make up for deficiencies of the above two ideas. In the context then, the society
consisted of two parts—material civilization and cultural civilization, but Mr. Ye
thought that was not enough and ecological civilization had to be added to make a
complete society. According to him, material civilization, cultural civilization and
ecological civilization are synchronic dimensions (some call them elements) of a
civilized society. Today, political civilization and social civilization are added to
the system too, driving the number of synchronic dimensions to five. Fetscher didn’t
mean “ecological civilization” in this sense, but in a diachronic sense, namely ecological civilization is a new social state, whose emergence and development constitute
a new age. The difference in Fetscher’s and Mr. Ye’s definition cannot be neglected.
Only Fetscher’s diachronic “ecological civilization” marks a new age in the historical
sense.
Before the strategy of building an ecological civilization was officially put forth
by the 17th National Congress of the CPC in 2007, very few scholars in China studied
this topic.
In 1990, Li Shaodong published an article titled “On Ecological Awareness and
Ecological Civilization” in the Journal of Southwest Minzu University (Philosophy
and Social Sciences). The article defines civilization as a state of progress in material
and cultural development that stands opposite to barbarism, ugliness and backwardness. Ecological civilization tries to introduce the rational perception of ecological environment and its positive practices into cultural development as an important component. Ecological civilization comprises a pure ecological morality, lofty
ecological ideal, scientific ecological culture and civilized ecological behaviors. To
develop ecological civilization, it is necessary to have a clear guiding thought, intensify the communication of ecological knowledge, foster a favorable social environment and establish an institution for it. Li Shaodong’s definition is consistent with
that given by Mr. Ye—ecological civilization is a “state of progress” opposed to
“barbarism, ugliness and backwardness” that man demonstrates in how they treated
the ecological environment. It is parallel with material civilization and cultural
civilization and penetrates those two.
In 1992, Xie Guangqian published “An Initial Study of Socialist Ecological Civilization” in Socialism Studies; in 1993, Shen Xiaohui published “Toward Ecological
Civilization” in Solar Energy and Liu Zongchao and Liu Yuesheng published “Global
Ecological Civilization: Earth Surface Information Proliferation Pattern” in Chinese
Journal of Nature. Shen Xiaohui held that major ancient agricultural civilizations
all declined because of the degradation of natural system and the destruction of
eco-balance between man and environment. But ecological destruction in history
was after all local, so was the fading away of civilization. When civilization in one
place declined or vanished, new civilization would emerge and evolve elsewhere.