The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis
Lynn White, Jr.
This article basically states that Christianity in the western world, is responsible for the influence that has resulted in environmental damage. This attitude along with the development of science and technology has produced ecological crises. It begins to discuss for as long as humans have been around we have been affecting our environment. As our society thrives we continue to do more damage to our ecosystem and most of the time we don't know what damage we're doing until its to late. But just recently we have started trying to integrate technology and science together for the better of the environment. But we are still not sure on what exactly we must do to help our ecosystem and what things will create more damaging backlashes and create a more serious situation then what we are already in.
Lynn then discusses how western technology and scientific movements originated in the middle ages so we must examine the assumptions and developments of the middle ages in order to know their ecological impacts. Since the medieval age, man has been increasing his technology to produce more efficiently from the earth. But with every advancement in technology his relationship with the earth changes. What people think about the earth determines how they will effect their ecosystem. Mans relationship with nature has always been that man is dominant over nature. Even in Christianity where God made both nature and man but allowed man to name all the plants and animals, man assumed dominance over nature. Until the 8th century most scientist would make hypothesis's of God in their theories but recently man has become dominant over everything.
Both science and technology have been used separately for many years and the ecological effects are out of control with some blaming Christianity. But recently man has begun to believe that we are not part of the natural process and that we are superior to nature. Even though we are starting to use science with technology to help our ecosystem we are not going to get rid of our problems unless we reject the Christian view of natures relationship with man. It then discusses the spiritual revolution of Saint Francis and his alternate view of nature and mans relationship to it. Since the roots of our problems are religious the solution must have some religious component. A good start could be to re-consider Saint Francis' ecological ideals and see what they could do for nature and our society.
Lynn White, Jr.
This article basically states that Christianity in the western world, is responsible for the influence that has resulted in environmental damage. This attitude along with the development of science and technology has produced ecological crises. It begins to discuss for as long as humans have been around we have been affecting our environment. As our society thrives we continue to do more damage to our ecosystem and most of the time we don't know what damage we're doing until its to late. But just recently we have started trying to integrate technology and science together for the better of the environment. But we are still not sure on what exactly we must do to help our ecosystem and what things will create more damaging backlashes and create a more serious situation then what we are already in.
Lynn then discusses how western technology and scientific movements originated in the middle ages so we must examine the assumptions and developments of the middle ages in order to know their ecological impacts. Since the medieval age, man has been increasing his technology to produce more efficiently from the earth. But with every advancement in technology his relationship with the earth changes. What people think about the earth determines how they will effect their ecosystem. Mans relationship with nature has always been that man is dominant over nature. Even in Christianity where God made both nature and man but allowed man to name all the plants and animals, man assumed dominance over nature. Until the 8th century most scientist would make hypothesis's of God in their theories but recently man has become dominant over everything.
Both science and technology have been used separately for many years and the ecological effects are out of control with some blaming Christianity. But recently man has begun to believe that we are not part of the natural process and that we are superior to nature. Even though we are starting to use science with technology to help our ecosystem we are not going to get rid of our problems unless we reject the Christian view of natures relationship with man. It then discusses the spiritual revolution of Saint Francis and his alternate view of nature and mans relationship to it. Since the roots of our problems are religious the solution must have some religious component. A good start could be to re-consider Saint Francis' ecological ideals and see what they could do for nature and our society.
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