Electronic Library of Scientific Literature



FILOZOFIA


Volume 51 / No. 2 / 1996



TRVALO UDRZATELNY ROZVOJ VO FILOZOFICKO-EKONOMICKOM, -TECHNICKOM A -ENVIRONMENTALNOM KONTEXTE

Sustainable Development on the Crossroads.

JAN LETASI, Filozoficky ustav SAV, Bratislava

From the philosophical stand the paper analyzes the fashionable concept of „sustainable development“ in three contexts: economic, technological and environmental ones. From the economic point of view sustainability is related not only to the proportional consumption of natural resources but also to the conception of man-made and natural capital as well as to the integration of environmental criteria into systemic economic instruments. The structure of technology and its application determines sustainability of our civilization. The evolutionary approach to environmental problems perceives the complexity of biospheric systems in dynamic equilibrium as controvertial processes, not as a static state. Traditional beliefs in Man’s sustainability are no longer valid. Unless mankind finds more cooperative and steward-like relationship towards Nature, it may turn out to be a blind alley of Evolution in the end.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 70


K PROBLEMU ANTROPOCENTRICKEJ ETIKY

On Anthropocentric Ethics.

TEODOR MUNZ, Filozoficky ustav SAV, Bratislava

The request to behave morally towards the nature means to apply our morality to an inappriopriate field, because this morality was created for humans. We cannot be responsible for the nature, we cannot be her partners or administrators, although we can and must limit our interventions into it. The vocabulary for our contacts with nature yet has to be created.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 80


HLADANIE NOVEJ EKONOMICKEJ A EKOLOGICKEJ PARADIGMY

The Quest for New Economic and Ecological Paradigms.

LADISLAV HOHOS, Katedra filozofie a dejin filozofie FFUK, Bratislava

Industrial civilization based on the authoritarian advantage of reason as interpreted within the framework of enlightenment, sees as its main objective domination and manipulation. The late 20th century, however, is witness to a new change, namely the shift from mechanistic to holistic conception of reality. The period of unconstrained economic growth is comig to its end, because it met with fatal ecological limits. The paper deals with basic strategies of sustainable living. The discussion and the search for a new civilization paradigm leads to the conclusion that values are the primary forces in human society. The question then is, if we have enough time to make the dominant values of humanity the superior principle to preserve the world.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 84


PROBLEM HODNOT V ENVIRONMENTALNEJ ETIKE

The Value Problem in Environmental Ethics.

ZUZANA PALOVICOVA, Filozoficky ustav SAV, Bratislava

The paper gives an analysis of values in environmental ethics. Attention is paid to the most important axiological theories, i. e. axiological individualism, resp. axiological holism. The author’s standpoint is, that a value theory corresponding the protection of environment could not be built on a subjective axiology, which makes the background of the above mentioned conceptions. In her view the concept of value results from human needs and from man’s struggle to survive. The concepts of „system value“, „transformative value“ are analysed as well. She is also concerned to show the relation between instrumental and intrinsic values.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 91


HODNOTOVA DIMENZIA ZIVOTNEHO PROSTREDIA

The Value Dimension of Environmental Ethics.

EVA SMOLKOVA, Filozoficky ustav SAV, Bratislava

One of the most important current transformations of the value system concerns the relation betwen man, humanity and environment. The building of a functioning axiology which would embody the value of environment as an irretrievable real value of human being, takes on various forms. Thus the environmental ethics and ecophilo-sophy come up with new approaches to the existential condition of man, to being as such, to value as an axiological and ethical category e.t.c. These considerations aim at applying value and moral relations to nature, to all nature beings and entities, to the whole planet.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 98


CLOVEK V USTREDI, ALEBO V USTRANI?

Man in the Centre, or on the Margin?

DUSAN SPIRKO, Katedra managementu Chemickotechnologickej fakulty STU, Bratislava

The paper deals with anthropocentric, resp. non-anthropocentric character of the environmental ethics. For fear of consequently applied non-anthropocentric approach, which could bring about the loss of humanistic perspective, the author points out, that it was the original, non-anthropocentric ethics of the early periods of humanity, which led to inequality, loss of freedom and humiliation of man. In his view, it was anthropocentric humanism, which, on the contrary, contributed to equality, and freedom of man. Consequently, he is defending an ethics based on anthropocentrism, which he sees deprived of its extreme elements (e. g. superiority of man over nature) and grounded in man’s responsibility for his own life and for the whole planet.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 106


MORALNA HODNOTA AKO VZTAH CLOVEKA K PRIRODNEMU BYTIU

Moral Value as the Relation between Man and the Being of Nature.

ANNA ONDREJKOVA, Katedra filozofickych vied FHV UMB, Banska Bystrica

Contrary to anthropological ethics the ecological ethics as the product of new ethical conscience applies also to our actions, which influence the sphere of non-humane. Three intrinsic ethical values: those of responsibility, temperance and coexistence, and three mediated ones: those of nourishment, adaptation and future play an important role in ecological ethics. Man’s responsibility should be assesed on the background of man’s activity towards environment. By temperance the harmony of „the being of Ego“ and „Being in norms“ is ment while the coexistence indicates the unity of man and nature. The mediated moral values express our hope that we are adaptive to all future changes, that we will be able to meet all our biological needs and that we are able to conceive of everything, but the world without future. Nevertheless, our time is rather limited.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 112


STOJI LUDSTVO NA PRAHU EKOLOGICKEJ REVOLUCIE?

Humanity on the Threshold of Ecological Revolution?

ZLATA ANDROVICOVA, KFV, Fakulta humanitnych vied UMB, Banska Bystrica

In current Slovak and Czech ecophilosophical works the notion „revolution“ is often used to indicate an unavoidable and desirable change of the current relation between man and nature. The authors speak of a philosophical revolution, of an axiological revolution, a revolution in thinking, feeling, of a linguistic and semantic revolution (S. Hubík) and of the necessity of moral revolution (E. Kohák). In radical ecological movements this notion indicates not only the above mentioned radical change, but also the radicalism of ways leading to it.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 118


INTENCIONALITA LUDSKEHO KONANIA A PROBLEM ZODPOVEDNOSTI

Intentionality of Human Action and Responsibility.

EMIL VISNOVSKY, Kabinet vyskumu socialnej a biologickej komunikacie SAV, Bratislava

Sharing the so called „intentionalistic“ approach adopted from the analytical philosophy of action, which the author considers to be the most appropriate prerequisite for solving the problem of individual responsibility, he discusses the concept of intentional action. The importance of such an approach for environmental ethics is more than obvious, that is, we should think over the transformation of our so called „power-control“ in global intention.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 121


CLOVEK V PRIRODZENOM A ODCUDZENOM SVETE OCAMI THOREAUA A NIETZSCHEHO

Man in Natural and Alienated World as Seen by Thoreau and Nietzsche.

JAN SLOSIAR, Katedra filozofickych vied FHV UMB, Banska Bystrica

The philosophy of Thoreau and Nietzsche aims at returning man back into his natural condition, which he has been deprived due to the development of modern civilization. As Thoreau underlines, man’s alienation form nature results from his dissolution in the world of things and takes the form of his enslavement by the products of his own work. On the other hand, Nietzsche suggests, that the nihilistic European civilization leads to a herd-like behaviour, diminishes men’s will to life and his ability to become an authentic being.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 128


O LUDSKEJ EXISTENCII

On Human Existence.

PETER KRCHNAK, Katedra spolocenskych vied, Fakulta ekologie TU, Zvolen

Man is now standing on the threshold of the third millenium. In answering the critical question „What way?“ he should find himself and learn to live as a human being. This is the challenge of the current unprecedented global ecological crisis. For the ecological crisis is first of all the crisis of man’s humanity. While the true existence of the individual concerns his communication with other human beings, his true existence as a species should be the interspecies communication. Respect for life is thus the prerequisite of human existence.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 135


HOLISTICKA ENVIRONMENTALNA ETIKA: MOZNOSTI, PERSPEKTIVY

Holistic Environmental Ethics: Chances and Prospects.

PAVEL FOBEL, Katedra filozofickych vied, FHV UMB, Banska Bystrica

In searching for a new ecological conception A. Leopold’s holistic interpretation proved to be inspirative, although in other disciplines the explicative force of the holistic approach is not accepted any more (as in postmodernism, the criticism is directed mainly towards its totalitarian consequences). On the other hand, the holistic approach contributed to overcoming the shortcomings of humanistic and traditional approaches in environmental ethics, which led paradoxically to the ethics of the exploatation of environment. This advantage of the holistic approach is currently defended by F. Capra and others.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 139


ONTOLOGIA PROSTREDIA – ZAKLAD ENVIRONMENTALNEJ ETIKY

The Ontology of Environment as the Foundation of Environmental Ethics.

JAN URBANEK, Geograficky ustav SAV, Bratislava

The place of man is ambivalent. It is the place of an epiphenomenon in the global environment and the place of a hegemon in the local one. Since the end of the Middle Ages man has not been accepting this ambivalent location any more. He regards himself as an unlimited, global hegemon. At the end of the XXth century this environmental attitude turned an environmental act. The modern economy and technology evoke deep transformations of global environment. Due to this global movement the man is pushed to the periphery. His fortune as an epiphenomenon – this is the result of his incorrect environmental attitude.
FILOZOFIA 51, 1996, No 2, p. 145