Chapter 2 Contexts

Abstract

AN INTEGRAL ECOLOGY must respect several contexts if it is to be genuinely dialogical and inclusive; it extends beyond the boundaries of the science of ecology. The ecological cannot be separated from the social and the cultural, just as these cannot be abstracted from a philosophical and religious view of the world. Furthermore, a true ecological approach must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment to hear both "the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor" (LS 49). There are always larger contexts. In this chapter, we select three contextual considerations, the better to face the questions that arise, and suggest the contribution integral ecology might make: 1. The Larger Story 2. A New Paradigm? 3. A New Age? THE LARGER STORY When exploring the possibility of an integral ecology there is a problem: The very plurality of sciences results in very different perspectives and, as a result, more refined specializations. Consequently, it is difficult to have a meeting of minds, let alone an integration of concerns regarding the deeper issues that affect our humanity. Some degree of polarization is inevitable, and efforts to defend one's territory at all costs are not unknown. Many conflicts have their origin in the lack of a shared story regarding the origins of the universe and the history of life on this planet. However, the very fact that we are earthlings existing and even coexisting within this particular universe surely suggests that we have something in common, and that collaboration for the well-being of the planet has become urgently desirable, even if different points of view are inevitable. Regarding collaboration, specializations and the possibility of conflict arise from the complementary nature of human exploration, since no one avenue is adequate. Conflicting attitudes may also arise from various stages in the history of possible collaborations. The accumulated wisdom of astronomers and even astrologers gazing at the night sky over millennia is not the same as having access to the photographs taken by the Hubble telescope. Conflicts, of course, can be far more deep-seated than different perspectives or various stages of history, as when a specific domain of science might rule that deeper philosophical or theological questions are beyond the pale, and have no place in an integral ecology.