Human Person in the Environment Modern Thinkers

A. Immanuel Kant
 According to Payne (2009), classrooms cannot  Expressed that beauty is ultimately a symbol of
set aside the importance of aesthetics as well as morality
the environment that suggests valuing that B. Herbert Marcuse
include: aesthetic appreciation, enjoyment,  For him, humanity had dominated nature.
relaxation, satisfaction, calm, peace, social C. George Herbert Mead
interaction, growth toward holism, and self-  For him, as human beings we do not only have
understanding. rights but duties
 Everyday, we experience or hear of how nature is
destroyed and, thus, there are floods, flash floods, Theories that Show Care for the Environment that
and landslides, among others. Contributes to Health, Well-being, and Sustainable
 This lesson will help the learner look at the Development
multidimensional concept of human being.
 Not only we should value the concepts of other A. Deep Ecology
people but to consider carefully, the moral, ethical, For this theory, ecological crisis is an outcome of
political, cultural and ecological realities of where anthropocentrism.
we are situated in.
Theories that Show Care for the Environment that
Notice Disorder in the Universe Contributes to Health, Well-being, and Sustainable
Development
 An unfair or unjust utilization of the environment
result to ecological crisis. B. Social Ecology
 Human arrogance toward nature is justifiable in For this theory, ecological crisis results from
order to satisfy human interests. authoritarian social structures.
 Sometimes, human adopt an exploitative attitude
whenever nature is merely considered as an Theories that Show Care for the Environment that
instrument for one’s profit or gain. Contributes to Health, Well-being, and
 A study blames human activities for drastic Sustainable Development
decline in wildlife population.
 Due to hunting and fishing, 52% of wildlife C. Ecofeminism
population deteriorated.  This theory argues that ecological crisis is a
 Accordingly, humanity needs to develop an consequence of male dominance.
“ecological conscience” based on individual  These theories value the care, conservation and
responsibility. preservation of nature, and humanity.
 Ecologists challenge us to adopt a lifestyle that  Erich Fromm, a German humanistic philosopher,
involves simple living that honors the right of all believes that it is about time that humanity ought
life forms to live, flourish, and create a rich to recognize not only itself but also the world
diversity of human and non-human life. around it.
 The right to live and blossom should not be just
for human beings but must be valid to all forms of
life.
 This belief stems from an awareness of our
dependence to other forms of life, not a master-
slave relationship.
 In 2004, indigenous grandmothers, representing
tribes from the Arctic Circle, Nepal, and Tibet,
held a meeting to be able to preserve their
community.
 The 2007 United Nation’s Declaration grants the
indigenous people “the right to conservation,
restoration, and protection of the total
environment and the productive capacity of their
lands, territories, and resources, as well as the
assistance for this purpose from States and
through international cooperation.
 The relationship of the indigenous people with the
environment is, thus, spiritually and materially
strengthened.

Ancient Thinker

Pythagoras
 Described the universe as the living embodiment
of nature’s order, harmony and beauty
 He sees our relationship with the universe
involving biophilia and cosmophilia