The way that humans think about the earth certainly affects the way that they relate and behave towards the earth and all its life forms. The various ideologies or worldviews that humanity has experienced such as dual...The way that humans think about the earth certainly affects the way that they relate and behave towards the earth and all its life forms. The various ideologies or worldviews that humanity has experienced such as dualism, capitalism, holism, animism, ubuntu, ukama, vital force, colonialism, and so forth are all different ways of thinking and relating to the earth. The paper argues that dualistic ways of thinking or viewpoints that radically separate the human as distinct from the earth are hostile to both human and earth flourishing. It further argues that the ecological crisis which has witnessed the destruction and pollution of the ecosystems and other devastations cannot be solved when humans continue to see the earth as an object for conquest and exploitation. Using a critical hermeneutics method, the paper affirms that the African principle of relationality can help in mitigating the environmental crisis. It finds and concludes that if this principle is radically practiced, a better environment will be created.展开更多
文摘The way that humans think about the earth certainly affects the way that they relate and behave towards the earth and all its life forms. The various ideologies or worldviews that humanity has experienced such as dualism, capitalism, holism, animism, ubuntu, ukama, vital force, colonialism, and so forth are all different ways of thinking and relating to the earth. The paper argues that dualistic ways of thinking or viewpoints that radically separate the human as distinct from the earth are hostile to both human and earth flourishing. It further argues that the ecological crisis which has witnessed the destruction and pollution of the ecosystems and other devastations cannot be solved when humans continue to see the earth as an object for conquest and exploitation. Using a critical hermeneutics method, the paper affirms that the African principle of relationality can help in mitigating the environmental crisis. It finds and concludes that if this principle is radically practiced, a better environment will be created.