World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 394

Living in Harmony with Nature Religious Philosophical Perspective of India
- Prof. Purnima Dave
Science governed by its materialistic assumptions regarded Nature as simply an object to be dominated, controlled and exploited; it provided us not only with this motive but also instruments for domination, control and exploitation of nature. Consequently, the environment has so vigorously been exploited that natural recovery could not keep pace with the destructive processes.
In trying to find solutions for the environmental crisis, two things occur to our mind. Can resacralization of nature solve the problem? Or should we turn to science to find a solution?
Babbitt, the secretary of the union of concerned scientists said, "As a politician, I cannot present any programme to the people to solve the environmental problem because it would mean too much sacrifice from my voters." He then added that only the religionists can bring about the large-scale changes of values which are needed now to reverse the process of environmental degradation.
Dr. Henry Kendall, Professor of Physics at MIT and the president of the union of concerned scientist said, "Science can point out the dimensions of the environmental problem but it cannot solve the problem. Science has no silver bullet, no technological fix for the environmental crisis." He recognised over-consumption as the cause of environmental degradation and appealed to religion, as the only force in the world capable of generating the changes in values needed to restrain humanity's destructive urge to overproduce and over-consume.
Earlier in 1990, at the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary leaders held in Moscow, 32 scientists had signed a joint declaration appealing to the world religions to use their immense influence to preserve the environment. It was acknowledged that in all efforts to safeguard and cherish the environment, a vision of the sacred is important.
How ironical! A particular brand of science eliminated the SACRED from their vision of the universe and now it is the scientists who acknowledge its importance.
These statements are somewhat ironical, for a particular brand of science is largely responsible for eliminating the SACRED from their vision of the universe.
However, one should not forget the other side of the story, i.e. technological Prowess and the good it has done to mankind, particularly in eradi
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