공맹유학의 사회생태론적 해석

Abstract

In this paper, based on the main discussions within the scope of Western environmental philosophy, I try to approach some characteristics in ecological ideas contained in the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius. Unlike the viewpoint of biocentrism, Confucius and Mencius do not think that man and other beings have the same intrinsic value. Neither do they regard man as the ruler or conqueror of the nature, unlike the viewpoint of anthropocentrism. Additionally, different from Taoists and Neo-confucians, they do not consider that man and all other beings share the same substance (一體). The man in their viewpoint hold the moralities such as humaneness (仁), four beginnings (四端), unbearing mind (不忍之心) which other natural beings do not possess. By realizing these moralities, the man can take care and nurture the family, the neighbors, the whole human beings as well as all other beings in the nature. Those ideas of Confucius and Mencius share some similar aspects with the so-called Social Ecology - a theory of Murray Bookchin (1921~) who thinks that “the domination of nature by man stems from the domination of human by human” and “the critique and dissolution of the domination and hierarchical structures is the only way to resolve the recent ecological crisis”. Confucius and Mencius consider the domination of man by man in the Spring-Autumn-Warring states period a real question. The domination of man by man which emerged from man’s desires finally brought the result that the nature was dominated and destructed in the process of cultivating the land and expanding the territory. Bookchin, based on the increase of fertility and diversity, the complementarity between living species, and the ability of unceasingly changing the life forms of nature, called it “a participatory evolution”. Similarly, according to Confucius and Mencius, the nature is a symbiotic field within which all living things are raised on the ground of dynamic, spontaneous and reciprocal relations. Bookchin thinks that in order to realize the so-called “free nature”, it is necessary to change from the established notion of dominating the nature into the principle of “complementarity”. Man is not a dominating species but an aiding one. In the thought of Confucius and Mencius, the core of the human morality is the very “complementarity”. The moralities such as humaneness, four beginnings, unbearing mind etc are universally inherent in every man. And the core of those moralities is the love, the care and the cultivation for other living things in the nature. Hence by means of realizing and improving those qualities, the man can carry out the role of supplementing and helping his family (親親), his people (仁民), and other living things in the nature (愛物). Obviously, unlike Bookchin, in the thought of Confucius and Mencius there is no idea of abolishing social classes. Based on the ecological sensitivities such as humaneness (仁), four beginnings (四端), and unbearing mind (不忍之心) etc, they only try to alleviate the then question of domination of man by man by strongly requesting the realization of “humane politics” (仁政) and “the politics of the King” (王道政治) to the then politicians.