Beyond Environmental Consciousness

Abstract

This chapter examines the concepts of “ecology” and “human ecology” as elements of the transdisciplinary study of man-made environmental problems. It then presents the different approaches to “consciousness” in Eastern and Western traditions. The chapter continues by showing how “ecological consciousness” differs from “environmental consciousness.” It emphasizes that ecological problems can only be solved if the relationship between nature, society, and human individuals is well understood, and if we recognize that the environmental crisis is the inevitable consequence of an instrumental rationality embodied in the institutions of modernity such as modern capitalism, industrial technology, individualism, and mechanistic science. The chapter summarizes the concepts of deep ecology, ecological economics, and the circular economy, and different ideas such as ecological conscience, land ethics, Gaian ethics, and moral responsibility. Finally, the chapter comments on the real-world relevance of some selected worldviews such as Christianity, Gandhi’s philosophy, and Buddhist economics.