To tackle the crisis of the environment and the ecology, the author believes we need not only knowledge and technology, but also worldviews, regulations and practices to reconnect humans, other species, and nature.
Modern thinking from the Age of Enlightenment focuses on human subjectivity, which is disconnected from the world of nature. Chinese and eastern philosophy does not have this subject-object separation, or the distinctive feature of human subjectivity/mastery. Aboriginal religion, in particular, sees nature as the origin of human beings, instead of resources that can be controlled or distributed. Chinese philosophy, including Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, all have well-rounded systems of cosmology and ethics. They are all practice-oriented and influential in the eastern culture. Therefore, the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale sees the eastern religion as an important asset, encouraging more dialogues around it for its potential contribution to sustainable ecology.
Religious Ecology is not yet popular in Taiwan, but has a great potential for growth. This article is written in Chinese with the hope of reaching Taiwan’s academic society or wider audiences and generating meaningful contributions around the world.
