化解“环境悬崖”的思想机理

Abstract

"环境悬崖"是指伴随中国近几十年来经济的高速发展,生态环境所面临的凶险境况和继续下行的悲惨境遇,表征着生态环境问题严重的程度,反映出人与自然矛盾的尖锐性,如临环境深渊。面对"环境悬崖",除了发出"生态启蒙"的思想呐喊,应积极寻求化解之策,诸多学者竭力从西方寻找化解之机,中国传统思想文化不但蕴含着化解人与自然矛盾的重要思想资源,也有用来指导人类克服当代"环境悬崖"的思想机理。中国传统思想文化有其内在的精神和自己独特的体系,其价值理念以天人合一为诉求,并有系列的制度设计与之相匹配,其中的"天道"与"人道"、万物平等、"道"与"技"和"圣王之制"等思想相辅相成,共同构成了"和而不同"的中国生态思想,体现出极其重要的生态价值。(1)将"天道"与"人道"贯通于一体,充分尊重自然,追求人与自然的和谐;(2)主张人与天地万物是平等的,包括动植物在内的整个宇宙系统的生命,这对于我们正确处理人与自然万物的关系具有超越历史的普遍适用性和恒久价值;(3)把技术放在理论和道德的原则驾驭之下,认为理论高于技术,主张"好于道"则"进于技",把技术置于原则驾驭之下;(4)通过"圣王之制"来保护生态作物的生长,用法律来调节自然资源再生能力与人类向自然攫取的矛盾。"圣王之制"是"古之训""思之理""机之制",体现了中国传统生态文化思想在政治实践中的运用,也体现出当时社会自上而下对待自然万物的态度,这种重视生态环境保护的思想影响到了生活实践,形成"节用爱人、使民以时"的伦理道德,也体现了在生态环境保护上的"天赋人责"的自觉秉持和担当。

Environmental cliff refers to the terrible and deteriorating ecological environment condition along with therapid development of China's economy over the recent decades, presenting the sharp contradiction between man andnature. Faced with environment cliff, human should seek suitable solutions besides the ideological calling for"ecology enlightenment". Many scholars are making great efforts to seek solutions from western culture. Actually,Chinese traditional cultures contain significant resources of thoughts helpful to solve the contradiction and overcomeenvironment cliff. In pursuit of the human-nature unity, the values ideology and the system design, including Tao ofnature and human, universal equality, Tao and skill, and system of sage king, constitute Chinese ecological ideologyof harmony without uniformity. The intrinsic spirit and unique system of Chinese traditional cultures have thefollowing ecological values. First, the combination of Tao of nature and human fully respects the nature in pursuit ofthe harmony between man and nature. Second, the mentality of universal equality, including all beings in theuniverse, gives transhistorical generalizability and permanent value helpful to deal with the relationship betweenman and nature. Third, theory and morality are believed to be in preference to skills. The advance of Tao is supposedto promote skills, and skills are placed under the control of Tao. Fourth, the system of sage king is enforced to protectecological crops, applying laws to adjust the contradiction between regeneration capacity of natural resources andhuman needs. In a word, the system of sage king is essence of Chinese traditional ecological culture applied inpolitical practice as well as social attitudes toward nature from top to bottom at that time. The thought emphasizingthe ecological protection influences living practices, forming the ethics of thrifty, making people labor in due time,and gives expression to the self-conscious undertaking of ecological environment protection.