维系生态平衡的博物学进路

The Natural History Approach to Maintaining Ecological Balance

当今世界的生态失衡,从根本上讲是由于人类没有恰当地约束自己的欲望、不断"开发征服大自然之强力"造成的。现在各国的科技发展战略和制度安排依然不反省过时的前提。按《道德经》的思想,唯有大自然和自然过程堪称"神器"。"人类世"概念及由复杂性科学得出的不可预测性思想提示人们,古老的博物学有必要复兴,博物学进路足够有趣也有助于维系天人系统的生态平衡。

The ecological crisis in modern society is basically due to man's not properly restraining his desires and developing multifarious strong forces in order to defeat and deceive nature. Present science and technology policy and institutional arrangement in every country still follow the old-fashioned premises. But according to The Book of Tao and Teh, only nature and natural process can be claimed as shenqi, the almighty power. The concept of Anthropocene and the idea of unpredictability from complexity science remind us that it is necessary to revive the old tradition of natural history, which is interesting enough and helps to maintain the ecological balance.