生态伦理:可持续发展的伦理基础

可持续发展是始源于人类所面面临的生态危机、以人与自然关系的协调发展为基本内容的一种生态化发展模式,它所面对和需要处理的是人类发展需求无限性与自然资源有限性这一矛盾,即人类对自然的价值取向、开发强度是否符合自然规律的问题.目前学界对它的研究已突破"经济-科技-政治"等实践层面,开始深入到"观念-价值-文化"等认识论、价值论领域.生态伦理是对人与自然关系的哲学反思中应运而生的一种革命性的伦理思想,本质上属于人类社会的"观念-价值-文化"领域,其理论构成、研究对象正契合人类的可持续发展.生态伦理作为可持续发展伦理基础是可持续发展的客观要求和必然选择:①生态伦理突破传统的道德定义,将伦理关怀的对象扩展到人与自然界关系的领域,为可持续发展奠定了坚实的思想基础,提供可靠的伦理前提;②生态伦理肯定自然价值和自然权利,直接回应了在可持续发展中人为何要尊重自然价值与权利这一理论课题,为人类对大自然的价值认同寻到理论根基,使可持续发展寻找到坚实的价值支点;③生态伦理在反思和批判传统道德评价标准的基础上,提出全新的道德评价标准,为现实的可持续发展战略的设计与安排提供伦理支持和辩护.

Ecological ethic: the ethical basis of sustainable development

Sustainable development is an ecological developing model, resulting from the ecological crisis threatening man and focusing on the harmonious development between human being and nature. Its main task is to solve the conflict in social development between infinite demand from man and limited natural resources-that is, to make man's value orientation and exploitation of natural resources conform to the laws of nature. At present, the study of ecological ethics has gone beyond the practical level of "economics-science and technology-politics" and turned to the fields of epistemology and axiology of "concept-value-culture". Ecological ethic is a revolutionary idea born out of philosophical reflection on the relationships between human being and nature. It belongs to the range of "concept-value-culture" in human society and its theoretical frame and study are in agreement with human sustainable development As the ethical basis of sustainable development, ecological ethic is the objective demand and inevitable choice for reasons as follows: First, ecological ethic makes a breakthrough in traditional concept of ethics, expanding the object of moral care to the field of the relationship between human and nature, building a solid foundation of thoughts and ethical premise for sustainable development. Second, ecological ethic affirms natural value and right, responding to the question why people should respect natural value and right in sustainable deleop-ment, finding out the theoretical root for the value identity of nature by man and solid value support for sustainable development Third, based on the reflection and criticism of traditional moral evaluation, ecological ethic puts forward new moral evaluation, offering ethical support and defence for the design of sustainable development strategy.