Comparing Cartesian Ethics And Gaian Ethics

III. Negotiating opposing approaches with Gaian and Person Ethics
Gaian ethics can be applicable to traditional, Cartesian philosophy with emphasis on a holistic perspective of the global environment. According to Rene Descartes, the fundamental base for Cartesian environmental ethics is all physical reality can be reduced to “minds” and “bodies” (Shrader-Frechette). The Cartesian body is purely a mechanical entity (Koch). In order to be an ethical individual, it must possess consciousness of the mind. Although plants and animals are living organisms, they lack consciousness and the capabilities to think critically, thus eliminating them from candidacy as a moral agent and they should be treated like a physical thing. Incorporating holism …show more content…
Lovelock quotes: "We do recognize the needs of the Earth, even if our response time is slow. We can be altruistic and selfish simultaneously in a kind of unconscious enlightened self-interest. We most certainly are not a cancer of the Earth, nor is the Earth some mechanical contraption needing the services of a mechanic." The common ground is created by analyzing how the human species contribute to the Earth. For example, like other living entities, the human species “fulfills the role of a vital, albeit conscious, organ in the geophysiology of the planet” (Lautensach). It can be considered that Gaia and the human species have a dependent relationship. Since the human species function as an organ of Gaia’s, “humanity can claim that many of its efforts to ensure its continued existence will also have a benefit for Gaia” (Lautensach). However, Gaia’s health is also determined by the human species. For instance, environmental phenomenon like the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to global warming has been scientifically proven as an irregularity that was mainly caused by mankind. In the meantime, humanity’s ability to thrive as a species is dependent upon the health of Gaia. This is a reaction of the interdependence between Gaia and …show more content…
According to Arne Nass, deep ecology is a “total field” concept that “views humans as just one constituency among others in the biotic community” (Fox). This sounds very similar to one aspect of the Gaia hypothesis: holism. Yet, there is a distinction between the environmental ethics in regards to the placement of humans in the biosphere. The Gaia hypothesis “contextualizes human within the vast movement and self-adjustment of life” (Weston). Lovelock would likely argue that we are literal parts of Gaia since we do not live “on” the planet, but “in” its atmosphere (Abram). Deep ecology focuses on the interaction and communication between humans and the environment. This form of “communication” is not purely based on linguistic exchanges between the two parties, but rather the consciousness of the environment. In the book, Confessions of an Eco-Warrior, Dave Foreman portrays communication with the environment passionately. Foreman claims to feel discrete pain when the environment is being degraded by industrial practices like the extraction of resources from the mines. If a forest has been cleared, Foreman says it slowly kills him inside. The constant communication will develop ethics towards handling the