590
J. Lin
2. Supporting life
Man relies on the ecosystem for survival, including air, water and food, among others.
Had there been no plants, insects or organisms on earth, mankind would have lived
for only a few months at most.
Albert Schweitzer, the French philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize winner, put forth
the “ethic of reverence for life” in his The Philosophy of Civilization, and further
elaborated on the idea in his Reverence for Life. He held life as a great creation of
nature, saying “life is sacred,” calling for utmost respect for all lives and advocating
“worship for life” as the core and basic principle of ethics. “Protecting, improving
and developing life” is an important content of the “norms of man and nature” and of
“good”; “good is protecting and developing life while evil is destroying and injuring
it.” “Reverence for life doesn’t allow individuals to give up caring for the world.
It urges individuals to interact with all lives around them and feel a responsibility
for them. The development of lives that we can influence and our interactions with
and responsibility for these lives should not be limited to maintaining and promoting
their existence per se, but should extend to striving to realize their utmost values in
any aspects.”
3. Providing resources
The ecosystem provides unlimited resources for human production and life. Ecological factors as resources become the objects of labor and constitute the factors of
production.
Man can exploit creatures as renewable resources, but within a certain limit.
Ecological tourism is very appealing as it meets people’s ecological needs for
clean water, fresh air and beautiful environment. Ecology therefore has the healthreinforcing and recuperative function for man. The natural ecosystem provides
tourism, recreation and health services for man, having important values for
improving their living standards and health and enriching their spiritual life.
Ecological activities have to comply with scientific ecological outlook and
ecological laws and aim at the best “ecological benefits.”
4. Symbiotic interactions
The famous American ecologist Eugene Odum pointed out, “the principle of
ecosystem development bears significantly on the relation between man and nature.
The policy of ecosystem development is obtaining ‘maximal protection,’ or maximal
support for the complicated biological structure, while the purpose of man is
‘maximal production’ or the highest output possible. Conflict often arises between
the two.” Sometimes man has to make concessions or comprises, namely adjusting
their behaviors. Human activities cannot undermine the basic ecological processes
on earth. Many values in nature are irreplaceable, without which man cannot survive.
For instance, photosynthesis of green plants and the material circulation, transformation and regeneration in ecosystem starting from that turn solar energy into an
effective energy for earth, which is the condition to maintain lives on the planet and
the basis and prerequisite for human creation of cultural values.
J. Lin
2. Supporting life
Man relies on the ecosystem for survival, including air, water and food, among others.
Had there been no plants, insects or organisms on earth, mankind would have lived
for only a few months at most.
Albert Schweitzer, the French philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize winner, put forth
the “ethic of reverence for life” in his The Philosophy of Civilization, and further
elaborated on the idea in his Reverence for Life. He held life as a great creation of
nature, saying “life is sacred,” calling for utmost respect for all lives and advocating
“worship for life” as the core and basic principle of ethics. “Protecting, improving
and developing life” is an important content of the “norms of man and nature” and of
“good”; “good is protecting and developing life while evil is destroying and injuring
it.” “Reverence for life doesn’t allow individuals to give up caring for the world.
It urges individuals to interact with all lives around them and feel a responsibility
for them. The development of lives that we can influence and our interactions with
and responsibility for these lives should not be limited to maintaining and promoting
their existence per se, but should extend to striving to realize their utmost values in
any aspects.”
3. Providing resources
The ecosystem provides unlimited resources for human production and life. Ecological factors as resources become the objects of labor and constitute the factors of
production.
Man can exploit creatures as renewable resources, but within a certain limit.
Ecological tourism is very appealing as it meets people’s ecological needs for
clean water, fresh air and beautiful environment. Ecology therefore has the healthreinforcing and recuperative function for man. The natural ecosystem provides
tourism, recreation and health services for man, having important values for
improving their living standards and health and enriching their spiritual life.
Ecological activities have to comply with scientific ecological outlook and
ecological laws and aim at the best “ecological benefits.”
4. Symbiotic interactions
The famous American ecologist Eugene Odum pointed out, “the principle of
ecosystem development bears significantly on the relation between man and nature.
The policy of ecosystem development is obtaining ‘maximal protection,’ or maximal
support for the complicated biological structure, while the purpose of man is
‘maximal production’ or the highest output possible. Conflict often arises between
the two.” Sometimes man has to make concessions or comprises, namely adjusting
their behaviors. Human activities cannot undermine the basic ecological processes
on earth. Many values in nature are irreplaceable, without which man cannot survive.
For instance, photosynthesis of green plants and the material circulation, transformation and regeneration in ecosystem starting from that turn solar energy into an
effective energy for earth, which is the condition to maintain lives on the planet and
the basis and prerequisite for human creation of cultural values.