In this blog post, we will examine how the human-centeredness of modern philosophy is connected to contemporary environmental issues through Heidegger’s critique.
At the center of the problems posed by Descartes, who opened the door to modern philosophy, and his followers was the concept of the “subject.” Descartes’ proposition, “I think, therefore I am,” placed the human subject at the center of philosophy, thereby establishing the foundation of modern philosophy. This subject-centered thinking emphasized reason and rationality, and viewed humans as having the ability to understand and control nature and the world. However, modern philosophy faced challenges after Hegel, and the dominant ideology of modern philosophy, which placed humans at the center of everything, became the target of criticism. With the development of philosophical thinking, human-centeredness has been reexamined and criticized from various perspectives.
A representative criticism of modern philosophy is the argument of environmentalists. According to environmentalists, modern philosophy is based on a dichotomous way of thinking that views humans as the subject and nature as an object to be perceived and controlled by humans. This dichotomous thinking has led to nature being viewed merely as a resource to satisfy human desires, thereby ignoring the intrinsic value of nature. As a result, they argue that modern philosophy spread the unjust ideology that humans are the rulers of nature. This ideology spread rapidly with the Industrial Revolution, and the view of nature as an infinite resource led to indiscriminate development and environmental destruction.
Environmentalists have focused on the scientism that led and dominated modernity and continues to exert its influence today. Influenced by modern philosophy, scientism viewed nature as a storehouse of resources that could always be used through quantification and calculation. This perspective reduced the relationship between humans and nature to something instrumental and one-sided. Environmentalists argue that this has led not only to the destruction of nature but also to a general crisis for human life itself. In particular, the destruction of ecosystems and climate change clearly demonstrate the negative effects of this perspective. Indiscriminate human development causes various environmental problems, such as global warming, marine pollution, and biodiversity loss, which ultimately have a serious impact on humans themselves.
Heidegger is a contemporary philosopher who provided a philosophical basis for the criticism of environmentalists. Heidegger pointed out that the fundamental characteristic of modern philosophy is anthropocentrism and rationalism. This is based on calculative thinking, which makes everything that exists an object that can be perceived, understood, and controlled by humans. In other words, rationality as calculative thinking has reduced all “things that exist (beings)” to objects of control by humans as “subjects,” and as a result, the original meaning of beings has disappeared. Heidegger believed that this calculative thinking led to the instrumental rationality of modern society. Instrumental rationality emphasizes efficiency and productivity, and has given rise to a tendency to instrumentalize all beings, including nature, for the achievement of human goals.
Heidegger opened up a new horizon of thinking by reflecting on the true meaning of existence. He argued that beings exist in meaningful relationships within the whole, and that beings cannot be separated from such relationships and have a uniqueness that cannot be replaced by anything else within the whole. This perspective emphasizes the interrelationship between humans, nature, and beings, and leads to the recognition of the unique value of beings. This presents the possibility of a new philosophical thinking that transcends the anthropocentric thinking of modern philosophy.
Modern philosophy has developed with a focus on the human subject, but its limitations have been exposed through various criticisms and challenges. In particular, environmentalists and Heidegger’s criticism pointed out the problems of modern philosophy’s anthropocentrism and rationalism, contributing to the exploration of new possibilities for thinking. These criticisms provide important insights into the direction that contemporary philosophy should take, and call for reflective consideration that is essential for rethinking the relationship between humans and nature and seeking a sustainable future. While inheriting the legacy of modern philosophy, new philosophical exploration that transcends its limitations must continue. In particular, in contemporary society, where environmental issues are becoming increasingly serious, philosophy must be able to provide wisdom for the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. This means that philosophy must go beyond mere theoretical inquiry and become practical wisdom.
