Ecologism

Environmentalism, or shallow Ecologism, is a modernist approach to the ecological movement that focuses on policy orientation. The main goal of environmentalism is to re-orient humans around the topic of environmental degradation and evolve the human consciousness to protect the environment. Humans are intrinsically anthropocentric. One result of this is Humanism, which is a philosophy that gives moral priority to the achievement of human desires. The consequence of acute humanism is that the value of the environment is directly related to its importance as an economic resource. Ecologism began as romanticist reaction to 19th century industrialization. However, the influence of enlightenment rationality can be found in the roots of shallow Ecologism. Scientific rational is used to demonstrate the profound impact of industrialization on the environment. Products of industrialization such as sewage runoff can pollute the water, damaging aquatic ecosystems and reducing the ability of fish to reproduce. This in turn creates a chain effect where other so that other aquatic life cannot be sustained as a result. Such repercussions of industrialization then spark not a communion with nature, but a dramatic call for environmental repair and preservation. Thus, we should value the environment in order to preserve the world for current and future generations

The world provides basic resources for survival. Therefore, the intrinsic value of the environment can be found in the resources it can provide for the human race. Donella Meadows states that current population trends predict an uncontrollable decline in human population and industrial capacity. Thus, Meadows suggests that as growth trends increase, the value of the environment...

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... another generation. The purpose of shallow Ecologism is to prolong the inevitable decline of civilization. Every avenue of argument leads back to a human need for the resources that the environment provides on a basic level. Humanity exploits all that the earth can provide. Agriculture makes use of nature in order to provide food. Capitalism in turn tempts humans on a consumerist level, making profit off of natural goods. Thus, there is no valid basis of valuing the environment for its mere existence. Instead all environmental value is derived from what the environment can explicitly do for its populace.

Works Cited

Festenstein, Matthew, and Michael Kenny. Political ideologies: a reader and guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Heywood, Andrew. Political ideologies: an introduction. 5th ed. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.