The Human- Nature Relationship in the Context of Theo-Centric Environmental Ethics

Year 2015, , 177 - 188, 27.07.2015

Gülşen Yaylı

https://doi.org/10.14486/IJSCS281

Abstract

The environmental problems are one of the issues that intensively occupy the agenda of humankind. This fact mainly derives from the ambiguity of the span and the content of the issue. The concept of environmental problems can not be confined to the soil, air and water pollution for the reason that it covers a scope wider than a classical pollution issues.
Initially the form of the relationship between human and nature has been relying on the “consumption at the level of content” which stands for a level that is enough to sustain the living. The perception of the nature used to be described with the metaphor of mother while natural environment was defined as the “mother earth”.
However subsequent to natural environment definition of the Cartesian philosophy with its approach to the human nature relationship, the core metaphor to describe the natural environment has changed from the metaphor of “mother” to the “slave” which should serve by any means.
The human- nature relationship within the context of ethics, both the parties and their respective statues bear an importance. In terms of ethics of human- nature relationship, it is possible to mention three main approaches. First one is the anthropo-centric approach. Within the scope of historical process, human- nature relationship is addressed according to anthropo-centric ethics comprehension so human has remained at the center of discussion. Following the change of the perception regarding the issue of environment, new approaches have emerged that give emphasis not only on human beings but also others; on living and non-living beings within the eco-system. In principle, this represents a departure from an anthropo-centric ethics to a new ethic approach which falls into two categories, bio centric and eco-centric.
The theo-centric ethics should also be included to these ethics approaches that are shaped within the sphere of positive sciences. The Abrahamic religions, particularly Islam’s human- nature relationship conception do not fall within the scope of these three approaches. This study stands for the assumption that the theo-centric approach is applicable to explain the human-nature relationship of the religion of Islam.
Within this framework, initially the core of environmental problems which is the transformation of human-nature relationship from organic to mechanic relationship will be touched upon whereas the mechanic world view will also be examined. Later on, around the main sources of religion of Islam, the content of human-nature relationship will be elaborated. In this context, a new paradigm will also be proposed for current global environmental issues.

Keywords

human-nature relationship, anthropo-centrism, bio-centrism, eco-centric, theocentric, Islam and environment

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