Anthropogenic climate change has become a hot button issue in the scientific, economic, political, and ethical sectors. While the science behind climate change is clear, responses in the economic and political realms have been unfulfilling. On the economic front, companies have marketed themselves as pioneers in the quest to go green while simultaneously engaging in environmentally destructive practices and on the political front, politicians have failed to make any significant global progress. I argue that climate change needs to be framed (...) as an ethical issue to make serious progress towards the path to a sustainable human civilization. In an effort to motivate the urgency needed to confront climate change, I argue that climate change seriously affects human beings living here and now, and if one cares about unnecessarily harming fellow innocent living human beings, then one should care about one’s own environmental impact related to climate change. Since this argument does not depend upon any specific philosophical, religious, or ethical tradition but applies regardless of one’s particular background, I hope to induce genuine concern among all human beings regarding this issue. (shrink)

The objective of the paper is to present philosophical positions arguing the unity of nature: from the pantheistic doctrine of the Stoics and the version of pantheism proposed by G. Bruno and B. Spinoza, through the Leibniz concept which assumes that every element of nature is spiritual and capable of intentional actions, to contemporary doctrines. One of the concepts – the “deep ecology” of A. Naess, emphasizes the need for the subjective treatment of every element of nature – people, animals (...) and plants; it postulates the specific equality of all species. The assumptions of eco-philosophy are perfectly in line with the findings of contemporary nature researchers proving that the bonds between individual elements of a given ecosystem are deeper than previously assumed, forming a complex multi-level network. A violation of the precisely developed balance can have far-reaching negative effects including for humankind. Modern philosophers stress that people responsible for shaping ecological policy should aim at protecting entire ecosystems, and they should ensure the maintenance of its balance. This philosophical message can be dedicated especially to the politicians responsible for the decision on the unprecedented logging of the Bialowieza Forest. (shrink)

The central place accorded the notion of ‘sustainable development' among those attempting to overcome ecological problems could be one of the main reasons for their failure. ‘Ecological civilization' is proposed and defended as an alternative. ‘Ecological civilization' has behind it a significant proportion of the leadership of China who would be empowered if this notion were taken up in the West. It carries with it the potential to fundamentally rethink the basic goals of life and to provide an alternative image (...) of the future. It could both inspire people and provide the cultural foundations for the cultural, social and economic transformations necessary to create a new world order, a world order in which humans augment rather than undermine the ecosystems of which they are part. This paper explicates these implications. (shrink)