Ecosophy A to Z (or at least W)

My favourite course during my undergraduate education was Philosophy and the Environment, taught by philosopher and proud Norwegian-Canadian Alan Drengson. Dr. Drengson lectured in the long, complicated sentences that are apparently the norm (and no doubt necessary) in the discipline of philosophy, so it was nearly impossible to take notes. But I didn't need to take notes. Everything he said harmonized with my thinking on the environment, and put words and names to many things that I had only felt. What he taught was personally meaningful to me—he told me exactly what I wanted to know. The classes were a pleasure, and the exams were an opportunity to organize my thoughts and feelings about Nature. And let's just say that the final result was good for my GPA.

What follows are some of the words and names I learned in that course that enabled me to speak about the relationships between humans and Nature. Don't worry—there won't be a test later!

Anthropocentrism has two forms. The trivial one arises from the truism that all humans think and feel as humans. It is said we cannot get out of this species centered condition. This is akin to saying that a male can only speak and see as a male, which is true, but this does not entail patriarchical bias for all males. In the nontrivial sense, anthropocentrism is a bias which holds only humans have intrinsic value; everything else is of instrumental value to them. All Nature is a resource for human use. In contrast with anthropocentrism, ecocentrism recognizes and seeks to appreciate and respect the multitude of intrinsic values found in the natural world.

Deep Ecology Movement is a grass roots, world wide, political movement which embraces radical environmentalism. It is defined by support for something like Naess' eight platform principles. Supporters agree that we cannot go on with business as usual; human numbers and technology are destroying the ecological systems; we must make fundamental changes in our values and practices; these require recognizing that there are values inherent in nature, and in thinking, speaking and acting ecocentrically. People support this platform from a number of different ultimate philosophies or religions. Supporting the platform principles leads to different sorts of policies and practical actions, depending on one's own context.

Earth spirituality is an inclusive way of referring to all those practices and ways of life which honor, respect, hold sacred and care for the values of the natural world, its communities and many beings. In this broad sense many traditional religions can be interpreted to support earth spirituality, but some in particular are based specifically on it, such as pagan and neo pagan practices. The Ecostery Foundation was incorporated with a very broad and inclusive approach to ways of honoring the earth, Nature, spirit and human. Approaches with no respect for the sacred and deep values of the earth, such as Modernism, are not included under worldviews having or open to earth spirituality.

Ecocentric refers to a value framework and approach that humans are part of larger ecological processes and communities. Natural and human communities are folded into one another. We participate, and cannot avoid doing so, in these communities. Our primary mission as moral agents is to take responsibility for ourselves. The environmental crisis is a result of collective and personal failure in responsibility. We must live as ecologically responsible members of the ecosphere. To do so requires appreciating all ecological values, so far as this is possible.

Ecological consciousness is mindful awareness of one's whole ecological context, all of one's relations, and living as gently upon the Earth as possible. It contrasts with lack of ecological awareness, that is, behavior and thought which ignores ecological realities and has no sense of participating in the larger context of place.The ultimate aim of the environmental movement, many say, is to develop ecological consciousness so that our social and cultural life manifest ecosophy, that is, ecological harmony and wisdom. Ecological consciousness can take many forms, just as there are many ecosophies or ways.

Ecological Self is the larger Self of which each of us is a part. In most spiritual traditions it is recognized that natural maturation processes take us beyond identification with our own narrow self interest (egoism) to a larger sense of obligation, to family, to place, and to the larger community. The widest extension of caring is love for the ecos as a whole with its many beings; this is ecocentrism realized as ecosophy, wisdom to dwell with unconditional love for a place. The realization of the Ecological Self involves the flourishing of compassion and relationships that are spontaneously supportive and caring. The egoself is the separate, small, boundaried self. What is our main self of identification, with whom or what do we identify?

Ecology is the science of the interrelationships, distribution, abundance and contexts of all organisms and their interconnections with their living and nonliving environment. It takes two forms: systems ecology that relies heavily on computer modeling and inventory data, and field ecology that studies organisms and communities in their natural settings. Ecology as a study is not restricted to biology. Most disciplines now have a branch using the word ecology or the eco prefix. Sociologists study human ecology; ecoeconomists apply ecological principles and values to the study of economics, and so on.

Ecophilosophy is philosophizing as if Nature matters. Its aim is to bring philosophy to the larger context of the natural world. Modern Philosophy has ignored this context in its mainstream value theories. An ecophilosopher is dedicated to understanding the spiritual and philosophical dimensions of the environmental crisis so as to contribute positive understanding and ecological paradigms and values that involve ecosophic practices. It synthesizes new visions through narratives out of which grow cultural practices appropriate to an Age of Ecology. The ultimate aim is practical realization of ecosophies. It is practiced by people who have become ecophilosophers through examination (deep questioning) of the philosophical foundations of their own disciplines and lives as these relate to the natural world.

Ecosophy means literally the wisdom of the household place. It implies the wisdom to dwell harmoniously at home in a place. It involves being receptive and responsive to the needs of a place and the wisdom that Nature has enfolded into it, with its many beings and communities. Communities which live ecosophically evolve unique practices of forest and land use that are called vernacular technologies. For example, shelters are built to fit the place to take full advantage of the natural heating and cooling characteristics there. Ecosophy deepens throughout one's life, and throughout a culture's life. To develop one's personal ecosophy is to articulate one's ultimate values and philosophy of life as an Earth dweller. Often a person's ecosophy is based on a traditional religion, such as Christianity or Buddhism.

Ecostery comes from two roots ecos, which means place (but also from ecosophy), and stery from the word monastery, suggesting a sacred community. An ecostery is a place where ecological wisdom and harmony are learned, practiced and taught. It can refer to an individual or family dwelling and its place, a community and its place, when these are intentionally developed to realizing and teaching ecosophy. The ecostery ideal is a model by means of which to live our daily lives. It also applies to actual intentional communities that have Nature sanctuaries and shrines as well as educational programs aimed at practicing, teaching and living ecological wisdom.

Ecotheology is theology practiced and developed as if creation matters. Every major religion has at least an implicit ecotheology. Ecotheology is burgeoning in Christian circles where it focuses on how to be a wise Steward by living as Christ taught, with compassion and love for all of creation. In Creation Theology, a la Matthew Fox, Creation is an ongoing process (comogensis) in which God and humans participate. The moral and spiritual values of our participation ought to reflect the love and strength shown by Jesus and St. Francis.

Environmental Ethics is a subdiscipline of applied values studies in philosophy. Ethics is the study of moral values and the good. The word also refers to a person's values. Environmental ethics has two main forms: the first is based on axiology, that is, the development of a system of thou shalts and shalt nots, or a code, usually supported by an ethical theory. The other form involves the realization that values are embedded in nature and that one cannot separate moral and human values from the whole spectrum of values.

Four principles of ecology a la Commoner are that 1. nature knows best, 2. there is no free lunch, 3. everything goes someplace, and 4. all things are interconnected. These principles can be used to develop guidelines for planning and design. For example, if Nature knows best, then we should learn sustainable forestry from the forest, not from abstract models and theories based on the assumption that humans know best, and that plantations are superior to natural forests.

Intrinsic values are actions, states, beings, conditions, relationships, etc., valued for their own sake, and not just for what they lead to or produce. A person can value mountain walking for its own sake, not because it conditions the body, not because it gets him or her somewhere, but just for its inherent goodness. Of course one could also value it for all its instrumental benefits as well. If one has no intrinsic values, then all instrumental values are merely means to other means which are means to yet other means. Values lose their meaning. All value systems presuppose a context. An egocentric value system presupposes a context that only extends as far as one's ego. An ecocentric value approach includes all beings. Intrinsic values are ends in themselves. Our committed intrinsic values help define who we are.

Ultimate Religion or Philosophy refers to the largest narrative we can present which explains our life as a whole in relation to Nature and the Cosmos. For most people this story is grounded in a particular religion such as Christianity or Taoism. For others the ultimate premises are based on a personally developed philosophy, such as Naess' Ecosophy-T. Most cultures are identified by their ultimate beliefs and meanings. Ultimate meanings and values are usually communicated in a culture through myths, religions, stories, spiritual disciplines, rituals, art, artifact design and use, to mention a few ways these are encoded.

Wisdom is the ultimate aim of philosophy, which literally means the love of wisdom and its pursuit. Ecological wisdom, or ecosophy, is the ultimate aim of ecophilosophy. In Western traditions Socrates noted that wisdom begins when we realize our ignorance, and it requires that we examine our lives deeply to gain deep insight into self and world. Humans can live wisely without having complete knowledge, if their values and practices are sound. Once we realize our radical ignorance, we understand that data, information, and knowledge must be embedded in a larger sense of life that can only be gained by active experience and reflection on life as a whole. For wisdom we must have comprehensive understanding of our selves, context and relationships, the values that guide us, the commitments we honor, the respect we show, and the compassion we can live.

Selected from the Glossary of the Ecostery Foundation website. Alan Drengson is a founder of the Ecostery Foundation. For more on ecosteries, read Drengson's Doc Forest and the Blue Mountain Ecostery.