Of Human-Environment Relationship: A Critique
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Date
2016
Authors
Owosho, S.A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Philosophy, University of Uyo
Abstract
The study of the relationship between man and his environment has always attracted attention. The relationship of man and the environment has also influenced the environment of human society. The conscious and unconscious misuse of nature by man has led to the persistent degradation of the world physical environment. The one time cordial man-environmental relationship has been marred due to increase in human greed, self-centredness, egoism and his never ending desires. The defilement of the friendly man-environment relationship commenced when man conceived himself as a being superior to nature, and embarked on the project of the conquest of nature. With the onset of the concept of the conquest of nature that occupied the human mind, the balance of the ecosystem and therefore the environment was shaken, which ultimately led to environment degradation and degradation of environment quality. It is against this human attitude of Darwinian survival of the fittest that this paper proposes to make a critique of man-environment relationship from the perspective of environmental ethics. It makes a critical analysis of the major causes of environmental degradation and its disastrous consequences, which has transformed the world environment into a suicidal living ecosystem. This paper suggests the effective implementation of a philosophy of environmental education which will educate man to acquire a clear understanding that there is an inseparable link between man and the environment. Environmental degradation has reached its peak and obviously there is a need of a philosophy of life based on symbiosis, that is, cordiality between man and the environment
Description
Conference Paper
Keywords
Environmental Degradation , Ecosystem , Environmental Ethics , Environmental education
Citation
Owosho S.A. (2016). Of Human-Environment Relationship: A Critique, SAPIENTIA: Journal of Philosophy, 6 (7), ISSN: 1595-4943, A Publication of Department of Philosophy, University of Uyo, Uyo, 248-259