透過您的圖書館登入
IP:3.238.195.81
  • 期刊

由儒家觀點論西方環境倫理學人類中心主義與自然中心主義的對立

Confucian Perspective on the Contrast between Anthropocentrism and Eco-centrism in Western Environmental Ethics

摘要


對於「環境」的普遍意識應該是廿世紀後半葉的事。以Encompassing Nature-A Source Book: Nature and Culture from Ancient Times to the Modern World (Edited by Robert M. Torrance, Washington D. C.: Counterpoint, 1999)爲例,這本書在近一千二百頁的選文中,涵蓋不同文化背景,由古代至十八世紀,但未曾出現”environment”一詞。工業革命之後,人類改變環境的能力大增,破壞環境的能力也大幅增強。環境受到的破壞已超出其復元的速度,也回過頭來危害到人類的生活。1962年卡遜的《寂靜的春天》代表當代人開始意識到環境破壞的嚴重性,而1967年懷特的〈我們生態危機的歷史根源〉則代表當代人開始反省人類對於環境的態度與相處之道。懷特指出,源於傳統基督教的人類中心主義是當代生態危機的禍源;此一指控引發思想界針於人類中心主義的熱烈討論。針對此一議題,這幾十年來出現的相關論述,大部分都是承襲著懷特的指控而站在反對人類中心主義的立場,因此而出現生命中心主義、大地倫理、生態中心主義、深層生態學等等主張。不過,早有學者指出,這種人類中心主義與生態中心主義的兩極化並不是恰當的態度。如李常井對這種偏重提出兩點質疑:「第一、一種符合現實需要的環境倫理學,是否真的能夠將『環境使用』的層面全然加以排除?拋開了與環境使用有關的問題之後,是否還會有保護環境(自然)的問題?第二、太過於強調『以自然爲中心」的觀點會不會走向另一種極瑞?將人類對於自然的道道責任完全訴之於自然的內在價值,在實踐上會不會遭遇因難?」本文在這點上與李常井看法類似,亦不認爲人類中心主義是必須完全摒除的立場。不過,李常井試圖以生態學的知譏來修改人類中心主義,本文的主旨則在試圖由儒家的立場來修改人類中心主義,並試探儒家式的人類優先主義之可能。簡單地說,儒家肯定仁心爲人性之常,而仁心聶基本也是教開端的具體表現在於事親。但是,儒家並不以此爲限,而要人努力地在具體情境中把仁心之發用擴充出去,向更廣闊的領域實踐,這就是所謂的「推恩」。不過,儒家也承認仁心之發用有其自然而當然的次第,亦即是由近而遠、由內而外。因此,才會說「親親而仁民,仁民而愛物」,而在親親的部分亦有所謂的「親親之等」。放在儒家義理的脈絡來看,當代應用倫理學的發展過程其實就是「推恩」之具體實踐,亦即仁心之不斷擴充其範圍。我們不僅關心到一般人的權利,也擴大到植物人、胎兒、初生嬰兒的權利。我們不僅考量到人類的權利,也開始呼籲動物的權利、生態系統的權利。然而,在其間發生利益衝突時,又當如何呢?儒家在此不會浪漫地主張生態中心的想法,而會要求以人類爲優先考應的對象。以人類爲優先考慮的態度在實際上可能是無法避免的,人類唯有在其他生物不會威脅到自身存在時,才顯意談生物多樣性或動物權利等主張。人類在考應生態時,不可能以其他生物優於人類。但是,在不危及人類生存的狀況下,人類亦有義務盡量考慮其他生物與生態的保護。簡言之,以儒家說的推恩與親親之等做爲思考基礎,或許在人類中心主義與生態中心主義之外,我們可以提出一種「人類優先主義」。

並列摘要


Universal awareness of environment is a late twentieth century event. For example, the book edited by R.M. Torrance, namely, Encompassing Nature-A Source Book: Nature and Culture from Ancient Times in the Modern World, which covered essays of diverse cultural background and from eighteenth century onward, there is not the word ”environment” in them. After the industrial revolution, man's power over environment has been greatly enhanced while his power of destruction of environment becomes enormous at the same time. The harm to environment has exceeded its recovering pace and becomes a danger to human lives. In 1962, Rachel Carson's The Silent Spring is a landmark of the awareness of environmental destruction of contemporary people. In his 'The Historical Root of our Environmental Crisis' White lights up contemporary reflections of our attitude towards environment and how we should live with it. He points out that the anthropocentrism in traditional Christianism is the root of such environmental deterioration. It tickers a hot debate on anthropocentrism among scholars and results in a number important theories, mostly following White's critique against anthropocentrism, such as biocentrism, land ethic, eco-centrism, deep ecology and so on.However, many scholars have pointed out that such bipolar orientations of eco-centrism and anthropocentrism is inadequate. Lee raises two points: ”First, could an environmental ethics that fits with actual needs really exclude completely 'deployment of environment'? Is there still the problem of environmental protection when we leave the problems of the deployment of environment all together? Secondly, will excessive 'Nature centered' points of view not lead us to another extreme? Will it be practically an impasse to base all human moral responsibility open the inherent values of Nature?” This paper comes clone to Lee's point of view in that anthropocentrism needs not be totally rejected out of hand. However, he tries to revise anthropocentrism with ecological knowledge, while mine does it with Confucianism and explores with a Confucian concept of human priority.Confucian simply takes nor mind of benevolence (jen hsin) as the ground of morality. This mind manifests most concretely in our filial piety to our parents. However, Confucian does not stop here but goes further to extend it to a much broader horizon, and this is called 'ramification of gratefulness.' On the other hand, Confucian recognizes that this mind of benevolence has a gradual order of extension, that is, from those close and intimate to those further apart in relationship.In the context of Confucianism, the development of contemporary applied ethics is a practice of 'ramification of gratefulness,' that is, the endless extension of the mind of benevolence. What we concert, with are not just rights of the adults, we extend them to permanent vegetative men and women, to embryos, to neonates. We also start to care for the rights of animals, of ecosystems. However, when, there are conflicts, what should we do? Confucian rejects the romantic eco-centric way of thinking and request as to give priority to human beings. It is practically impossible to avoid taking human being with priority, and man would only consider biodiversity or rights of animals when other species would not endanger his own existence. Human being could not put the interests of other species prior to his own in environmental issues. However, when his existence is not being jeopardized, man has the duty to consider the protection of other species and environment. In conclusion, with Confucian concept of 'ramification of gratefulness' we may steer a third way between anthropocentrism and eco-centrism in the name of 'anthropopriorism.'

參考文獻


朱建民(2000)。由儒家觀點論西方環境倫理學人類中心主義與自然中心主義的對立。鵝湖學誌。25,1-40。
美佛慧訊
美佛慧訊
Birch,G. Bottler,Susan J.Armstorn(1998).Mora1 Considerability and Universal Consideration.(Environmental Ethics: Divergence and Convergence).
Birch,G. Bottler,Susan J.Armstorn(1998).Mora1 Considerability and Universal Consideration.(Environmental Ethics: Divergence and Convergence).

被引用紀錄


林秉宏(2017)。臺灣民眾的基因科技發展態度:環境價值觀的影響效果與基因知識的調節作用〔碩士論文,國立臺灣大學〕。華藝線上圖書館。https://doi.org/10.6342%2fNTU201701624
林祐立(2013)。農場動物福利之實然與應然-以我國法制之檢討分析為中心〔碩士論文,國立臺灣大學〕。華藝線上圖書館。https://doi.org/10.6342%2fNTU.2013.10921
楊書瑋(2013)。人與動物之權利關係-以娛樂動物為例〔碩士論文,國立臺灣大學〕。華藝線上圖書館。https://doi.org/10.6342%2fNTU.2013.00763
林秀娟(2007)。探討傅可思(Michael Allen Fox)動物權利理念之轉變及其涵義〔碩士論文,國立中央大學〕。華藝線上圖書館。https://www.airitilibrary.com/Article/Detail?DocID=U0031-0207200917344984
程進發(2007)。為環境倫理學整體論辯護及其應用〔博士論文,國立中央大學〕。華藝線上圖書館。https://www.airitilibrary.com/Article/Detail?DocID=U0031-0207200917344673

延伸閱讀