Vol. XXXVIII / 1 - Studia Moralia

220 HANS J. MÜNK
new “Lexikon der Bioethik” (Encyclopaedia of Bioethics),
“retinity” is defined as an ethical principle, “the basic
requirement of which is to guide the development of human
civilisation such that the network of ecological systems which
support it is preserved”. 6
3. Foundation in Social and Environmental Ethics
Describing the foundations of the model with respect to
contents necessarily draws on principles of social ethics and
concepts such as those developed in the context of traditional,
“classical” paradigms. As a Catholic theologian, I have elsewhere
sought to demonstrate this by way of the principles of Catholic
social doctrine. 7 In one decisive point, however, I exceed the
boundaries of this doctrine; namely, in connection with the task
of total interconnection as engendered by the concept of
“retinity”. For any social ethics embedded in Christian theology,
building bridges that connect back to the central themes of
(theoretical) systematic theology is an inherent requirement.
This has been and continues to be acknowledged in at least a
fundamental way with respect to anthropological aspects (e.g.
concerning the creation of man in the image of God). This
cannot be asserted to the same degree with respect to nonhuman
life, and even less so with respect to the non-living
dimensions of Creation. Classical social principles as well as the
more modern imperative to give the option for the poor priority
are anthropocentric. The non-human dimensions of nature are
addressed more or less secondarely, as a necessary implication
of human life. However, this is not consistent with the essential
6
Vogt, M., ”Retinität”, in W. Korff et al. (ed.), Lexikon der Bioethik, vol.
3 (Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus 1998) p. 209.
7
Cf. the work cited in remark 4. Of course, other approaches are also
conceivable, such as the discursive ethical type; cf. e.g. Höhn, H.-J., ”Technik
und Natur: Perspektiven einer ökologischen Sozialethik”, in H.-J. Höhn (ed.),
Christliche Sozialethik interdisziplinär (Paderborn: Ferdinand Schöningh,
1997) pp. 263-289. On social principles, cf. Baumgartner, A. / Korff, W. ,
”Sozialprinzipien”, in W. Korff et al. (ed.), Lexikon der Bioethik, vol. 3
(Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 1998) pp. 405-411.