Environmental Ethics

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 72

causes and remedies by appropriate actions, not leaving on any super or lesser power to come from some where and help. A rationalist will have scientific temper and does not subscribe to superstitious beliefs, blind faith, dogmas and inaction. If mankind adopts rational attitude and behaviour there will be no harm to environment.
Agriculture and genesis of superstitions :
Accidental birth of agriculture changed the whole scenario. Forests were cut and burnt extensively to prepare land for agriculture. Though a large group initially stuck to forest based livelihood, it also has to resort to hunting in absence of diminishing availability of food from shrinking forests. These two new occupations of agriculture and hunting disturbed the harmonious balance and symbiotic eco-systems. With expanding agriculture population increased, more and more forests were destroyed upsetting even the climatic patterns. Both the professions of agriculture and hunting depended on chance circumstances more often beyond control of man. Some selfish wily people took advantage of uncertainty in success or failure of agriculture and hunting and articulated occult practices of future forecasting, controlling misfortunes by their portended superpowers to cure diseases, bring fortunes etc., by misguiding gullible people and it generated irrational superstitious beliefs and practices which are galore even in the modern, civilised and highly technical societies all over the globe. The changed environment, because of destruction of forest-based model which was symbiotic and cooperative and expansion of agriculture which is predatory and exploitative, the intermittent successes and failures, vagaries of nature, floods, droughts, pestilences and wars created deep scars on the psyche of mankind. Human psyche became more and more susceptible to temptations promising quick results without effort, though with long term harmful consequences and became prone to promises and prophesies false or real, irrational, virtual and occult practices. The fundamental natural principle of cause and
57