The history of ecologic change is still so rudimentary that we know little about what really happened, or what the results were.
I. Fusion of Science and Technology (mid-19th century)
Science – aristocratic, speculative, intellectual in intent
Technology – lower class, empirical, action-oriented
The Fusion
- democratic revolutions
- by reducing social barriers
- tended to assert a functional unity of brain and hand.
II. The Western Traditions
Modern Science and Modern Technology are Occidental.
Use of Scratch-plow
- Subsistence farming. Owning fields for family support.
- Peasants.
o Result: an Exploitive Attitude.
***What people do about their ecology depends on what they think about themselves in relation to things around them. Human ecology is deeply conditioned by beliefs about our nature and destiny–that is, by religion.
III. Christianity and Ecology
Christianity – most anthropocentric religion
o Man named all the animals (Gen. 2:19), thus establishing his dominance over them
o Man was made in God’s image
IV. An Alternative Christian View
Conclusions:
o Modern science – extrapolation of natural theology
o Modern technology – Occidental, voluntarist realization of the Christian dogma of man’s transcendence of, and rightful master over, nature.
o Both joined to give mankind powers which, to judge by many of the ecologic effects, are out of control. If so, Christianity bears a huge burden of guilt.
***Both our present science and our present technology are so tinctured with orthodox Christian arrogance toward nature that no solution for our ecologic crisis can be expected from them alone. Since the roots of our trouble are so largely religious, the remedy must also be essentially religious, whether we call it that or not.
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