[환경일보] Today, humanity is piloting a lot of interests, discussions, and researches on ecological protection issues. We are persistently working on maintaining clean air, clean water, and an appropriate climate for human survival. The environmental pollution and ecological threats are unexpected results from human civilization. The unforeseen diseases and life threats are having a deleterious impact on the quality of life and could become a disaster for humanity in the future. To resolve this challenge, what is first needed is a transformation in human consciousness; it is necessary to move away from anthropocentrism in individual mind and engage in modification of economic priorities in social consciousness.

The first important thing to protect the ecological environment is to escape from the anthropocentrism of modernity. The anthropocentrism of modernity developed into the idea that humans are the center of the world, emphasizing human rights, freedom, and equality as the modern enlightenment developed. Postmodern thought argues that the world is not anthropocentric, but post-anthropocentric, in which humans and nature coexist. Humans and ecology are thought of as one organic system. What we need is a shift in consciousness from anthropocentrism to friendly mind for ecological system, which is imperative for resolving ecological tribulations. It is obvious that because anthropocentrism is still at work in many ways, environmental protection is not being implemented efficiently.

The second important one is that we are in serious need of the adjustment of economic priorities. Humanity created an industrial society by discovering the efficiency of carbon energy and using it recklessly. Industrial society brought wealth to all mankind. However, on the other hand, it has caused quandaries that pollute the environment and deteriorate the quality of life. As technological civilization develops, efforts are being made to develop alternative energy, but the results do not seem to be that great.

The economic priority leading to the proliferation of capital and increase of productivity are damaging the environment and threatening human life. Making numerous plastic products, misuse of toxic chemicals, and over use of carbon energy with economic competence are damaging the ecosystem and threatening the quality of human life. Economic priority is leading to the risk of self-destruction of human life.

What is urgently needed to protect the future environment of humanity is the transformations in human consciousness. I would like to emphasize again that we need to break away from anthropocentrism in individual mind and to humiliate economic dominance in social consciousness by continuous campaign and education. Without these changes of individual and social consciousness the future of humankind will be in irreducible darkness.

[한글 요약본]

생태환경보호를 위한 인간 의식의 변화

인류는 환경오염과 기후변화로 인해서 위기를 맞이하고 있다. 많은 사람이 이 문제에 관심을 두고 논의하고 연구하고 있다. 하지만 이 문제를 해결하기 위해서 가장 근본적인 것은 개인의식과 사회의식의 변화이다. 여전히 인간중심주의 생각이 편재해 있으며, 경제 생산성 우선주의가 사회의식을 지배하고 있다. 이 두 요소에 의해서 생태 파괴적 물질들이 지속해서 양산되고 있다. 인간중심주의에서 생태조화의식으로 전환이 필요하며, 경제 생산성 중심에서 환경친화적인 사회의식이 절실히 필요하다. 인류의 미래는 이 두 요소를 근본적으로 조절하지 않으면 돌이킬 수 없는 어두운 미래를 맞이할 것이다.

김성원(Kim, Sung Won, Th.D. Former Vice President, Korea Nazarene University)

Boston University 종교철학 전공 박사
나사렛대학교 부총장 역임, 현재는 명예교수