The Philosophical Foundations of Ecological Civilization


Book Description

The global ecological crisis is the greatest challenge humanity has ever had to confront, and humanity is failing. The triumph of the neo-liberal agenda, together with a debauched ‘scientism’, has reduced nature and people to nothing but raw materials, instruments and consumers to be efficiently managed in a global market dominated by corporate managers, media moguls and technocrats. The arts and the humanities have been devalued, genuine science has been crippled, and the quest for autonomy and democracy undermined. The resultant trajectory towards global ecological destruction appears inexorable, and neither governments nor environmental movements have significantly altered this, or indeed, seem able to. The Philosophical Foundations of Ecological Civilization is a wide-ranging and scholarly analysis of this failure. This book reframes the dynamics of the debate beyond the discourses of economics, politics and techno-science. Reviving natural philosophy to align science with the humanities, it offers the categories required to reform our modes of existence and our institutions so that we augment, rather than undermine, the life of the ecosystems of which we are part. From this philosophical foundation, the author puts forth a manifesto for transforming our culture into one which could provide an effective global environmental movement and provide the foundations for a global ecological civilization.







Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views on Eco-civilization Construction


Book Description

This book discusses and studies the basic course of ecological civilization construction in the 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China and summarizes the experience and lessons. It contains 75 articles from 75 top experts and government officials in the field of ecological civilization policy-making and basic theory research in China, including Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, ecological culture, green industry economy, environmental quality, legal system, ecological security and so on, so as to provide reference for understanding and studying the progress of ecological environment protection since the founding of China.




On the Verge of a Planetary Civilization


Book Description

On the Verge of a Planetary Civilization: A Philosophy of Integral Ecology draws on the work of Gilles Deleuze, and his contemporaries and successors, in order to explore the ecological problems facing our globally interconnected civilization.




China Goes Green


Book Description

What does it mean for the future of the planet when one of the world’s most durable authoritarian governance systems pursues “ecological civilization”? Despite its staggering pollution and colossal appetite for resources, China exemplifies a model of state-led environmentalism which concentrates decisive political, economic, and epistemic power under centralized leadership. On the face of it, China seems to embody hope for a radical new approach to environmental governance. In this thought-provoking book, Yifei Li and Judith Shapiro probe the concrete mechanisms of China’s coercive environmentalism to show how ‘going green’ helps the state to further other agendas such as citizen surveillance and geopolitical influence. Through top-down initiatives, regulations, and campaigns to mitigate pollution and environmental degradation, the Chinese authorities also promote control over the behavior of individuals and enterprises, pacification of borderlands, and expansion of Chinese power and influence along the Belt and Road and even into the global commons. Given the limited time that remains to mitigate climate change and protect millions of species from extinction, we need to consider whether a green authoritarianism can show us the way. This book explores both its promises and risks.




The Philosophy of Social Ecology


Book Description

What is nature? What is humanity's place in nature? And what is the relationship of society to the natural world? In an era of ecological breakdown, answering these questions has become of momentous importance for our everyday lives and for the future that we and other life-forms face. In the essays of The Philosophy of Social Ecology, Murray Bookchin confronts these questions head on: invoking the ideas of mutualism, self-organization, and unity in diversity, in the service of ever expanding freedom. Refreshingly polemical and deeply philosophical, they take issue with technocratic and mechanistic ways of understanding and relating to, and within, nature. More importantly, they develop a solid, historically and politically based ethical foundation for social ecology, the field that Bookchin himself created and that offers us hope in the midst of our climate catastrophe.




The Web of Meaning


Book Description

“A profound personal meditation on human existence . . . weaving together . . . historic and contemporary thought on the deepest question of all: why are we here?” —Gabor Maté M.D., author, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts As our civilization careens toward climate breakdown, ecological destruction, and gaping inequality, people are losing their existential moorings. The dominant worldview of disconnection, which tells us we are split between mind and body, separate from each other, and at odds with the natural world, has been invalidated by modern science. Award-winning author Jeremy Lent, investigates humanity’s age-old questions—Who am I? Why am I? How should I live?—from a fresh perspective, weaving together findings from modern systems thinking, evolutionary biology, and cognitive neuroscience with insights from Buddhism, Taoism, and Indigenous wisdom. The result is a breathtaking accomplishment: a rich, coherent worldview based on a deep recognition of connectedness within ourselves, between each other, and with the entire natural world. It offers a compelling foundation for a new philosophical framework that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on a flourishing Earth. The Web of Meaning is for everyone looking for deep and coherent answers to the crisis of civilization. “One of the most brilliant and insightful minds of our age, Jeremy Lent has written one of the most essential and compelling books of our time.” —David Korten, author, When Corporations Rule the World and The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community “We need, now more than ever, to figure out how to make all kinds of connections. This book can help—and therefore it can help with a lot of the urgent tasks we face.” —Bill McKibben, author, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?




Kindness and the Good Society


Book Description

Winner of the 2004 Edward Goodwin Ballard Book Prize in Phenomenology presented by the Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology with interest from a fund raised from Professor Ballard's family, students, and friends Kindness and the Good Society utilizes phenomenology and a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional sources to provide the first comprehensive account of kindness in any genre of philosophy. Remarkably rich in descriptive detail and drawing upon a wide range of examples, including literary sources, current affairs, and traditional philosophical texts, Hamrick's book rescues kindness from the purposeful neglect of deontological and utilitarian ethical theories. Beginning with an account of the personal and social areas of ethical and moral comportment, Hamrick addresses what is not intuitively obvious about kindness and its opposite, details a critical kindness that avoids both naiveté as well as popular cynicism, and guides us toward a new notion of aesthetic humanism.




Current Challenges of Environmental Philosophy


Book Description

It is extremely difficult to seek new paths in the twilight of our former idols, ideals and visions of a happy and successful life. The authors of the book invite the reader to embark on this journey in a free-spirited manner and to look at the challenges posed by the new climate regime from different perspectives. Whether one accepts the concept of the Anthropocene as a starting point, or rather as an opportunity for constructive criticism, readers will be fully engaged by thinking through historical-philosophical, scientific, political, social, as well as educational problems.




Ecoaesthetics and Ecosophy in China


Book Description

Chinese ecoaesthetics, which originated in 1994, has developed theoretically over the last 30 years. This branch of aesthetics, which is "based on ecology" and to "transform aesthetically towards the era of ecological civilization," uses ecological realism as its philosophical foundation and ecohumanism as its guiding principles. Its central aesthetic paradigm is known as the "body-mind-environment" model. Its main research object is "...ecological aesthetic appreciation," an exploration of how to appreciate aesthetics and ecology through "ecological beauty." Additionally, ecohumanism can be further improved by referring to principles of ecology and examining the aesthetic synergies between humans and the earth's ecosystem. Ultimately, ecohumanism is not only a method to aid in survival in an ecological crisis, but to elevate the human condition through assuming ecological responsibilities and promoting ecological civilization, leading to a more valuable and meaningful life. The theme of this book, Ecosophy C, can be summarized as "Moving toward the Aesthetics of Eternal Engendering". Its key phrase, "Creating life" corresponds to shengsheng (生生) in Chinese, literally implying a continuous cycle of reproduction. Philosophically, this concept translates to "eternal engendering". In essence, ecoaesthetics is the pursuit of the endless cycling of bio-engendering, which is the main goal of ecoaesthetics. "Cheng Xiangzhan is outstanding among Chinese environmental aestheticians in joining classical and contemporary Western environmental aesthetics with his original contributions to the more recent work by Chinese scholars. Cheng’s creative and integrative accomplishments are supported by a remarkable facility in English and reflected in his original and systematic consideration of the outstanding issues. While much can be debated, there is substantial material here, and this book makes a signal contribution to carrying the discussion forward." - Arnold Berleant, distinguished environmental aesthetician. His latest book, The Social Aesthetics of Human Environments, will appear in September 2023. Contents SECTION I - BASIC ISSUES IN ECOAESTHETICS CHAPTER 1. Ecohumanism and the Construction of Ecoaesthetics in China CHAPTER 2. The Four Keystones of Ecological Aesthetic Appreciation CHAPTER 3. An Ecoaesthetic Reflection on the Hazy Weather: The Naturalization of Nature CHAPTER 4. Ecological Civilization and Ecological Aesthetics in China SECTION Ⅱ - ECOLOGICAL AESTHETIC APPRECIATION AND ECOSOPHY C CHAPTER 5. Aesthetic Engagement, Ecosophy C, and Ecological Appreciation CHAPTER 7. The Archetype of Chinese Aesthetic Activity and a Construction of Everyday Aesthetics CHAPTER 8. Creating with Nature: Ecosophy C as an Ecological Rationality for Healing the Earth Community SECTION Ⅲ - ECOAESTHETICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL AESTHETICS CHAPTER 9. Arnold Berleant’s Environmental Aesthetics and Chinese Ecological Aesthetics CHAPTER 10. Some Critical Reflections on Berleantian Critique of Kantian Aesthetics from the Perspective of Ecoaesthetics CHAPTER 11. Critical Reflection on Arnold Berleant’s Ideas on Ecological Aesthetics SECTION Ⅳ - ECOAESTHETICS’ APPLICATION CHAPTER 12. Ecoaesthetics and Ecocriticism CHAPTER 13. Contribution of Ecological Aesthetics to Urban Planning CHAPTER 14. Urban Image and Urban Aesthetics: Urban Aesthetics in Cross-Cultural Perspective