人與自然-環境倫理觀

中華民國荒野保護協會/副理事長 柯典一

摘要

  全球暖化、氣候變遷是當前全世界共同面對的課題,威脅影響著整個地球上的生命、社會經濟、生態環境、貧窮及健康疾病。隨著自然環境不斷惡化,世界各地各種災難頻頻,當面對災難危機時,世人始開始反思必須要返本歸真,找尋古人的智慧,來改善我們的險境。 

  人類的祖先有上萬年的時間,都在荒野中度過,他們憑著本能、聰明、勇敢而在大自然嚴苛的競爭中生存下來 .

  從環境倫理發展的脈絡,形成至今人類對自然的倫理信念。但數百年來為求便利生存的工業科技發展,人類對自然已是陌生疏離,早已遺忘與自然互利共生的倫理關係 .

  大部份的環境問題是肇因於人類行為及思想的偏差。也唯有藉教育潛移默化、教導啟迪的功效,方能有效的改變人類思想與行為。

本文

  全球暖化、氣候變遷是當前全世界共同面對的課題,威脅影響著整個地球上的生命、社會經濟、生態環境、貧窮及健康疾病。隨著自然環境不斷惡化,世界各地各種災難頻頻,當面對災難危機時,世人始開始反思必須要返本歸真,找尋古人的智慧,來改善我們的險境。 

  人類的祖先有上萬年的時間,都在荒野中度過,他們憑著本能、聰明、勇敢而在大自然嚴苛的競爭中生存下來,後來更由於科技的發展,得以獨霸全球,過著自認為豐足、舒適、方便的生活。然而,人類卻沒有因此得到更多的幸福與快樂,反而為了追求更高的物質享受,而耗費了更多的時間與精力,甚至喪失了與大自然相處的能力(徐仁修, 1995 )。人類文明的發展也影響人與自然的互動經驗,都市化生活將人類逐漸孤立於自然環境之外,造成人類對自然的適應能力或處理能力降低,在情感上也會對自然產生疏離感。如 Mander (1978) 所言,當人類移居住進完全人工的環境時,我們與地球所應有的直接接觸及知識都被截斷、脫離-如太空人在太空中漂浮(陳志雄、鍾慧元譯, 1998 )。

  過去人類靠著豐厚的地球自然資源和生命世界得以生存發展,此一事實,即使未來的人類科技再進步,也是無法改變的事實。自工業革命以來,科技和經濟的起飛,人口激增,加上對於物質的需索無度,使合理的利用變為濫用和超限使用,造成環境崩壞,自然資源日趨枯竭。人類才開始省思人與自然的關係以及自然的價值,倫理關係也從「人與人」的關係演變成「人與社會」的關係,再擴展邁入「人與土地」的關係的第三種關係 (Leopold, 1988) 即所謂的環境倫理,將倫理關係從人類延伸至其他生物,以及自然世界。

  Leopold 於 1949 年提出土地/環境倫理 (land ethic) 認為人類應擴大社區的範圍,涵蓋土壤,水,植物和動物,整體說就是大地。人類只是這個社區的成員之一,必須尊重與其他一起生存的成員。自然萬物皆有其生存的權利,而這個權利並非人類所賜給。其土地倫理的理論主張一個真實的環境倫理,就是自然本身具有內在價值,而不是由於它對人類的生存和福祉具有意義,而且人類對於自然世界有倫理責任。依據 Leopold 的觀點,土地倫理(同環境倫理)的信念必須要改變人類對自身的看法,人類應停止視自己為地球上的征服者或優越物種的成員,應視自己只是生命社區的一員。並認為要去了解生態系統的運作方式才會了解物物相關的道理,其中特別強調人類都在這生物金字塔的能量流 (energy flow) 裡流動,以及食物鏈 (food chain) ,能量的循環路線會產生自發性的變化,也就是所謂演化。

  然而長久以來,人類自認為是自然界的主人,人與自然的關係是征服者和被征服者的關係。此種思維的演變造成對自然的疏離、誤解以至敵視,產生不少危害自然同時也危害人類自身。近數百年來西方學者開始思考人類在環境中的定位,以及人與自然萬物間的關係,因此相繼推動倫理信念,超越以人類為中心所構築的鴻溝,推展至非人類的自然世界。由於人類中心主義( anthtopocerntism )過分強調人類在自然環境演化中的主導作用,忽視自然本身存在和演化的規律。而生態中心主義 (ecocentrism) 是超越以人類為中心的思想,轉變為以生態、整體的環境、全體的物種為中心,觀照全生態的互動為思考方式,主張自然生態系統具有其自身的價值,且其價值是獨立於人類之外。

  從環境倫理發展的脈絡,形成至今人類對自然的倫理信念。但數百年來為求便利生存的工業科技發展,人類對自然已是陌生疏離,早已遺忘與自然互利共生的倫理關係。如 Leopold (1949) 呼籲:現今我們所面臨到的問題是,當人們已遺忘了土地的存在時,或者當教育和文化幾乎己經和土地脫節時,我們如何讓人們和土地和諧共存。同時也認為,倘使人們對於土地沒有懷著喜愛、尊敬和讚賞之情,或者不重視土地的價值,那麼,人和土地之間的倫理關係是不可能存在的。」更提出了「土地倫理發展過程中最大障礙,或許就是我們的教育和經濟系統,正引導人們遠離強烈的土地意識。」因此,如環境教育學者楊冠政( 1998 )所言 : 大部份的環境問題是肇因於人類行為及思想的偏差。也唯有藉教育潛移默化、教導啟迪的功效,方能有效的改變人類思想與行為。

Abstract

Global warming and climate change are current issues the world is facing today. These issues are threatening and influencing the whole Earth in life, social-economic, ecological environment, poverty, health and diseases. With the deteriorating natural environment, frequent disasters around the world, when human beings faced all the disasters and crisis, people began to reflect on simplicity and truth; human beings are looking for answers to solve the dangerous situation from the wisdom of ancestors.

The ancestors of humans had spent millions of years in the wilderness. They relied on their instinct, intelligent and bravery to survive the harsh competition in nature.

From the development context of environmental ethics leads to the formation of human faith in the ethical of nature now. For centuries, industry and technology were developed for the sake of survival. However, human and nature have been alienated. The symbiotic ethic relationship between humans and natural has long been forgotten. 

most of the environmental problems are prompted by the deviation of human behavior and thinking. Only through education to subtly and gradually inspire or through effective teaching to adequately change human thought and behavior toward nature.

Humans and Nature - Environmental Ethics

Global warming and climate change are current issues the world is facing today. These issues are threatening and influencing the whole Earth in life, social-economic, ecological environment, poverty, health and diseases. With the deteriorating natural environment, frequent disasters around the world, when human beings faced all the disasters and crisis, people began to reflect on simplicity and truth; human beings are looking for answers to solve the dangerous situation from the wisdom of ancestors.

The ancestors of humans had spent millions of years in the wilderness. They relied on their instinct, intelligent and bravery to survive the harsh competition in nature. Later on,due to the development of technology, humans were able to dominate the Earth, to live in a self-defined so called “ plentiful, comfortable,and convenient” life style. However, the human race did not get more happiness and joy. In the process to pursuit a higher material standard of living,humans not only spent more time and energy but also lose their ability to get along with nature (Hsu, 1995). The development of human civilization also affect the experiences of the interactions between man and nature. Urbanization have increasingly caused the isolation of human life from the mother natural,the disability to adapt or deal with nature, and the alienation with nature . As Mander (1978) put it, when mankind moved to live in totally artificial environment, the direct contact and the knowledge we have being posses about the earth will be cut off and cut out- just like the astronauts floating in the space.

In the past, human beings rely on the Earth's rich natural resources and lives in the world to survive and thrill. In fact, this is a fact that can not be changed even with the future progresses of science and technology. Since the Industrial Revolution, the take-off of technology and economic, the rapid growth of population, coupled with excessive claims for the material needed all make the rational use of nature resources into abuse and overrun which have contributed to the result of habitats and species collapses,and natural resources depletion. Human beings began to reflect on the relationship between humans and nature and on the values of natural. Since then,”ethical relationship” has evolved from the relationship between “human and human" into the relationship between “human and society" , and further more expanded into the relationship between ”man and earth" -- the third relationship (Leopold, 1988) the so-called “environmental ethics”, which will extend the relationship from between humans into between humans with all the other organisms and with the natural world.

In 1949, Leopold made the statement of land/environmental ethics that the scope of human community should be expanded to cover the soil, water, flora and fauna, that means the earth as a whole. The human being,who is just one of the members of this community,must respect all the other existing members. In nature, all members have their right to live,and this right is not bestowed by human. The theory of land ethics claims a real environmental ethic, that the nature itself has intrinsic value, rather than because of its meaning for human survival and well-being. Moreover, human beings have ethical responsibility for the natural world. Based on the view point of Leopold,the belief of land ethics (same as environmental ethics) is to change the view point of human beings. Mankinds should stop depending on themselves as conquerors or superior species on the planet. Humans should treat themselves just as a member of the community of life. And that the need to understand its mode of operation of the ecosystem will lead to understand the truth of everything is related. With particular emphasis on human beings flow in the biological pyramid of energy flow and is part of the food chain, while the energy cycle routes will be spontaneous changes in the so-called “evolution”.

However, for a long time, human beings have considered themselves the masters of nature; relationship between man and nature is the relationship of the conquerors and the conquered. Such thinking caused the result of alienation, misunderstanding and even hostility with the natural which in terms resulting in a lot of natural hazards that harmed human itself. Over the past few centuries, western scholars began to think about the positioning of human beings in the environment, as well as man and the relationship between the natural world. They also have being promoting the ethical believes to bridge the huge gap that the human-centered attitude has created between humans and non-human natural world. The human-centrism ( anthtopocerntism ) which emphasis too much on human evolution in the natural environment as the leading role, ignoring the existence and evolution of the natural laws of its own. The Eco-centrism emphasis on go beyond human-centered thought, into an ecological, holistic environment, all species as the center, the whole ecology of interaction contemplation way of thinking, advocates the natural Eco-system has its own value, and its independent value apart from human beings .

From the development context of environmental ethics leads to the formation of human faith in the ethical of nature now.  For centuries, industry and technology were developed for the sake of survival. However, human and nature have been alienated. The symbiotic ethic relationship between humans and natural has long been forgotten.  As Leopold (1949) appealed:“Today we are facing with the problems that when people have forgotten the existence of the land, or when education,culture, and land have virtually no connection at all. How do we keep the human and the land in harmony? Also think that would not help if people do not embrace the land with love,with respect and with appreciation; or do not attach importance to the value of land, then the ethical relationship between people and their land can not exist. "Even made a statement:" the biggest obstacle in the development process of land ethic is perhaps our education and economic systems,which are leading people away from a strong sense of the land. "So, such as environmental education researchers Yang Jen-Guan (1998) put it: most of the environmental problems are prompted by the deviation of human behavior and thinking. Only through education to subtly and gradually inspire or through effective teaching to adequately change human thought and behavior toward nature.