Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

however, posed a strong counter
Romanticism,
this perspective in 18th-century Europe,
to
leaders in Jean Jacques Rousseau, Samuel
with
Coleridge and Johann Wolfgang von
Taylor
They developed a philosophy of
Goethe.
that rejected the “destructive, dualistic
nature
reductionistic worldviews, which they
and
to be a central feature of Western
considered
(Taylor 2005). Indigenous Peoples
civilization”
nature religions were seen as more sensitive
and
nature, egalitarian and less greedy, an idea
to
was problematically known as the “noble
that
humans outside of
savage”—uncorrupted
and therefore beacons of humanity’s
civilization
Paganism has seen renewed
Contemporary
in recent decades coinciding with alarm
interest
environmental destruction. Groups of
about
Neopagans have attempted to
self-identified
their traditions into defined and selfcontained
solidify
religions, with nature-based spiritual
and with a sacred feminine principle
paths,
of the male divine principle of the
instead
God. Paganism shares beliefs and
Abrahamic
with other nature revering movements
politics
as Deep Ecology and Ecofeminism and
such
become an:
has
religions were long condemned for
Nature
misinformed or downright evil and
being
belief systems. The tables appear to
dangerous
turned, with those who subscribe to nature
have
criticizing mainstream religions for
religions
failings.
environmental
much of the same political space as
Occupying
nature-religionists are those who believe
the
scientific narratives could be framed as
that
narratives with life-revering ethics and
sacred
Instead of longing for and loving
spirituality.
these narratives describe a spiritual
God,
to the Earth, the biosphere or the
attachment
As examples, consider how adherents
cosmos.
the Gaia theory, developed by atmospheric
to
James Lovelock, conceive of the
scientist
as a self-regulating organism with a
biosphere
metaphysics of interdependence. Such
necessary
are being, to an extent, incorporated
narratives
existing world religions as well as into new
into
it should be obvious why nature so
Perhaps
attracts human religious attention.
consistently
the late 19th century, E.B. Tylor coined the
In
“Animism” for the category of beliefs
term
the elements and forces of the natural
that
are inspirited; that is, they have spirits
world
engage with human beings. This was
that
referred to as totemism, considered by
earlier
as one of the earliest religious
anthropologists
that described a feeling of spiritual
forms,
or kinship between human and
connection
non-humanbeings.
III. Methods and tools
III. Methods and tools
emerging religions.
innate goodness.
United Nations Earth Charter:
Sustainability with spirituality
attractive religious alternative for some non-indigenous
moderns, perhaps especially environmentally
The Earth Charter is an international declaration
of fundamental values and principles for a just,
concerned ones, who value indigenous religious
cultures for their environmental values, but either found
sustainable, and peaceful 21st-century global
society. It was drafted by a United Nations-led
them largely inaccessible, or chose not to borrow from
them because of the often strongly asserted view that
process and endorsed by organizations representing
millions of people globally. It is noteworthy for
eorts to ‘borrow’ from indigenous peoples actually
constitute cultural theft.
language that could be construed as religious, or
nearly religious; as stated on the Earth Charter
(Taylor 2005)
website: “the protection of Earth’s vitality, diversity,
and beauty is a sacred trust”. It could also be
described as a vision of humanism, with emphasis
on human agency, stewardship, responsibility and
cooperation. Humanity is tasked with choosing its
future, which “at once holds great peril and great
promise”, and with recognizing “we are one human
family and one Earth community with a common
destiny” (www.earthcharter.org).
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