Are you an Ecosophist?

April 12, 2020

It's simple. If you're conscious about the climate change crisis and know that small actions create a huge impact... 100% YOU ARE ONE!

But... let's start from the beginning, what is ecosophy?

Ecosophy is a philosophical movement inspired by our living conditions on the planet. Ecosophy was coined by the French post-structuralist philosopher Félix Guattari and the Norwegian father of deep ecology, Arne Næss.

For Guattari, ecosophy involves not only environmental but social and mental conscious. It's a way to understand and help human relationships within our own species and within nature. For Næss, ecosophy is about finding ecological harmony and equilibrium.

Both philosophers suggest that ecosophy is more than an abstract concept or system of thought, "it calls for a radical change in views and beliefs".

In the paper Two versions of ecosophy: Arne Næss, Félix Guattari, and their connection with semiotics by Simon Levesque, it's clearly expressed that both philosophers were worried about how people in the 70's and 80's knew environmental degradation was an issue however most of them defended the status quo over change.

"Large segments of the European public are now aware of the formidable destruction. The death of German forests is well known. But the same segments have not been able, and partly not even willing, to change the ways of production and consumption. These are secured by the inertia of dominant ideas of growth, progress, and standards of living. These ideas, manifest as firm attitudes and habits, are powerful agencies preventing large-scale, long-range changes." Næss, 

As long as we're capable to recognise that there is a problem, we're able to find solutions and that's the most exciting part of being not only human but conscious humans.

Now that you know more about the philosophical movement, my question is - are you an ecosophist?

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