World of Philosophy

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

Page 589

external Nature and also towards the future generations of human beings? Egoistic hedonism has no answer to this major problem. On the contrary, the doctrine of selfish materialism is creating havoc in modern society. This situation is producing all-round cynicism. Oscar Wilde once defined cynic as a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. So crassly materialistic and commercial attitude must be replaced by a more responsible, humane and even spiritualistic orientation towards oneself, others and the whole of creation. Anthropocentrism and consequent arrogance of man must be replaced by an attitude of humility, gratitude and reverence. The phrase 'man's dominion over nature should give way to "man's stewardship of the environment. Man is great because he has the capacity to understand his responsibility towards Nature and to act as the steward of the environment. The humans therefore have a self-imposed obligation to respect animals, plants and Nature. Man will have to use natural resources; but he has no right to misuse or spoil Nature and far less to destroy it. "Our mother earth has a plus value which cannot and should not be measured in terms of material utility," rightly pleads Shri Pandurang Shastriit Athawale. Mother ought to be respected even though she ceases to be useful in her old days. She serves her children but she should never be treated as a merely useful housemaid. Of course, even a servant must be treated as a respectable human being. Even a cow is treated as mother in India. It is heartening to note that the sane voices in different societies on this globe have started talking the language of 'Mother Nature' or 'Mother Earth'. There are hymns on this theme even in the holy Vedas, the most ancient texts of the world. Fortunately even some scientists are upholding this reverential concept of the Mother Earth. In this context, Debos very aptly defends this perspective and writes: "Above and beyond the economic and ecological reasons for the conservation, there are aesthetic and moral ones which are even more compelling. The statement that the earth is our mother is more than a sentimental platitude, since, as I said earlier in this book, we are shaped by the earth."4 All these considerations demonstrate an urgent need to save the planet and to maintain the variety in nature and the harmony between it and man. Morally developed human beings should gratefully recognise the debt they owe to society and Nature or to the "cosmic intelligence (God) who is immanent in the universe and also transcends it. It is only man who can appreciate and respond to beauty and sublimity in natural phenomena such as landscapes, sunrise and sunsets, certain birds and animals. Only man praises a rose for its scent and beauty and extols certain birds for the singing quality of their songs. Man also has an aesthetic need which the beauty of Nature or of the Earth satisfies. It is true that man creates a second world within the world of Nature. But he still needs Nature for his survival and his growth as a human being. So human creativity should be so promoted
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