The Ecological Ethical Connotation of Harmonious Coexistence and Modernization between Human and Nature

Author: Liu Fengxue

Ecological civilization is a new requirement for achieving harmonious development between humans and nature

In primitive society, due to the extremely limited agency of human practical activities, it naturally became an object of reverence and worship for humans. People only passively adapt to and obey nature, and the relationship between humans and nature is in a primitive and harmonious state. Entering the stage of agricultural civilization, human beings have continuously improved their ability to transform nature. Various natural disasters caused by human activities have emerged, and disharmonious phenomena have emerged between humans and nature. However, the contradiction between humans and nature has not reached an irreconcilable state. The relationship between humans and nature shows that humans rely on and depend on nature. The way humans treat nature is to "control the destiny of heaven and use it" and to learn from nature.

In the stage of industrial civilization, the industrial revolution greatly enhanced human ability to transform nature, and the charm of nature was gradually dispelled. "Modern natural science and modern industry together transformed the entire nature, ending people's childish attitudes and other childish behaviors towards nature." The logic of maximizing capital gains made nature the object of human transformation and the tool of capital proliferation, ultimately making both humans and nature the objects of their control. Since the 1930s, several environmental pollution incidents have occurred in some Western countries, triggering people's reflection on the development model of capitalism and the emergence of non anthropocentrism represented by naturalism. However, whether it is anthropocentrism or non anthropocentrism, they only affirm and emphasize the interests of one party while ignoring the interests of the other, both are binary oppositional thinking patterns, and the tense relationship between humans and nature has not been alleviated.

As a new form of human civilization, Chinese path to modernization is a modernization in which man and nature coexist in harmony. Our party deeply recognizes that the construction of ecological civilization is a millennium long plan related to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, and we must plan economic development from the perspective of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Harmony between humans and nature is an important principle for promoting ecological civilization construction in the new era, which accurately grasps the relationship between humans and nature and is the core concept for interpreting the relationship between humans and nature.

The Ecological Ethics Connotation of Harmonious Coexistence and Modernization between Human and Nature

Man and nature are a community with a shared future, and the relationship between man and nature is the most fundamental relationship in human society. The modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature contains rich ecological and ethical connotations between humans and nature.

The harmonious coexistence between humans and nature grasps the relationship between humans and nature as a living unity. On the one hand, humans are only a part of this community of life. "We, along with our flesh, blood, and mind, belong to and exist in nature." Only by exchanging material and energy with nature can humans maintain the survival and continuation of individuals and ethnic groups. On the other hand, humans interact with nature through practice, achieving the humanization of nature and forming a humanized nature, thus imprinting it with the imprint of human activities and giving it social attributes. This holistic approach, based on the community of human and natural life, clarifies that the boundary of human transformation of nature cannot destroy the ability of life to survive and develop. At the same time, it integrates the concepts of "harmony between heaven and humanity" and "the great virtue of heaven and earth is called life" in traditional Chinese ecological wisdom. It uses life to communicate the internal connection between humans and nature, and requires humans to treat nature with a moral attitude. At both the conceptual and practical levels, they should respect, conform to, and protect nature, achieving a harmonious relationship between humans and nature.

Human beings and nature coexist equally in an ecosystem. Human beings and other natural objects form a community of life, in which all life and species are forms and important components of natural existence. The existence and evolution of each part have their own functions, which are necessary conditions for the existence of a community of life. The interaction between different parts promotes the development and evolution of ecosystems. In this system, any member is each other's subject and object, and has its own value in existence. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the biodiversity of the community of life, balance the relationship between humans and nature, and maintain the balance of the ecosystem; Equal coexistence between humans and nature enables nature to receive human humanistic care and moral contemplation. This does not mean ignoring and denying the subjectivity of human beings in achieving harmonious coexistence with nature, or abandoning their value and significance. On the contrary, the realization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature relies on the subjectivity of human beings, emphasizing that humans must expand the moral community to nature and other beings, "protecting nature and the ecological environment like protecting the eyes, and promoting the formation of a new pattern of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.".

The development of human beings and the development of nature complement and interweave with each other. Marx pointed out that "history can be examined from two aspects, which can be divided into natural history and human history. However, these two aspects are inseparable; as long as there is human existence, natural history and human history are mutually restrictive." Human beings cannot develop without nature, and nature is not a wilderness, a pure natural state, and there is no natural development process that completely eliminates human activities. The relationship between humans and nature is a dialectical two-way symbiotic relationship. But the value of nature is not only reflected in meeting human needs, but also in its self existence value and value for all things. As the most positive factor in productivity, human activities can have both positive and negative effects on nature. The modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature requires taking the bidirectional symbiotic value of humans and nature as the ethical premise for building an ecological civilization. Humans should face and affirm all the values of nature, assume the responsibility and obligation of maintaining the balance of the ecosystem, with the goal of maintaining the vitality of the community, establish an ecological ethics of coexistence and prosperity between humans and nature, seek the maximum value of human development under the premise of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, change the development mode of killing chickens for eggs and fishing for all, deeply cultivate the concept that "green waters and mountains are like mountains of gold and silver", and take the path of green development.

The Ecological Ethics Construction of Harmonious Coexistence and Modernization between Human and Nature

Adhere to the unity of ecological concepts and green actions.The ecological ethics that promote harmonious coexistence between humans and nature has become a moral consensus and internal self-discipline for everyone, allowing the concepts of respecting, treating nature well, being grateful for nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature to enter the mind and heart. In practice, in the process of development, there should be a sense of boundaries, strict control of ecological red lines, and a good grasp of the development and utilization of natural resources; Adhere to green and low-carbon development, firmly resist the extensive growth model, improve resource utilization efficiency, and promote the development of new industries; Advocate for a green lifestyle, simple and moderate in clothing, food, housing, and transportation, and through the green revolution of lifestyle, force the green transformation of production methods. Ultimately, the joint construction of ecological ethics in both ideology and action will be achieved, guiding all members of society to love nature, respect life, and coexist harmoniously with nature.

Adhere to the leadership of the Party and unleash the power of the people. The value pursuit of Chinese path to modernization ecological ethics in the new era is the well-being of people's livelihood and the fundamental interests of the majority of people; The construction of ecological ethics is a systematic project that not only requires comprehensive planning, overall implementation, and multiple measures to be carried out in all directions, regions, and processes, but also requires the strictest system and strictest rule of law to constrain people's behavior of damaging the ecological environment. Therefore, ecological ethics can only be truly constructed under the leadership of the CPC, which has no special interests of its own and serves the people wholeheartedly. At the same time, ecological civilization is a cause that the people jointly participate in, build, and enjoy. Everyone is a protector, builder, and beneficiary of the ecological environment. Every individual is a part of the community of life and has the responsibility and obligation to maintain and promote the stability, harmony, and development of the community.

Actively participate in global ecological governance. Faced with issues such as air pollution, energy shortages, and threats to biodiversity, no country can stand alone, and it is the responsibility of any country. As a responsible major country, China takes the initiative to undertake environmental governance obligations that are in line with its national conditions, development stage, and capabilities, and provides more public goods to the world. The Earth is a community of life, and building a community of life together requires the joint efforts of the international community. It requires all humanity to have a deep reverence for nature and build an Earth home where economy and environment work together. Therefore, we should firmly oppose the "ecological colonization" of developed capitalist countries in the West, respect and safeguard the ecological and development rights of all countries and peoples; Practice multilateralism, effectively abide by and implement international rules, and make the global environmental governance system more fair and reasonable. We must not only consolidate the achievements of modernization and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, but also play a leading role as a developing country, build an international cooperation platform, provide financial and technological support to developing countries to the best of our ability, and work together with people from all over the world to build an ecological ethics of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, so that the concept of green development can deeply penetrate people's hearts and the path of global ecological civilization can be stable and far-reaching.

Guangming Daily

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