생명공동체와 공동선

Abstract

In order for us to resolve the environmental crises around the world today, a turn to the ecological thinking is needed. In this paper, I have attempted to clarify the concepts of community and the common good as to extend the well-defined concepts to be applied to the biotic community. It does not suffice to preserve a community by improving the provision of private or public goods. The idea of the common good differs from that of public goods as the former refers to the preservation of the well-being, safety, integrity, and core values of a community as well as to the community’s systematic, joint pursuits of ‘good lives’ or prosperities of its constituents as the community’s telos (ultimate good). For a biotic community, its primary values are symbiosis between species and sustainability of the community itself. Therefore, the common good of our biotic community ought to be set as protecting the stability and safety of the community and preserving the fundamental values (i.e. pursuit of happiness) of the constituents. Such objectives and aspirations as reflected in the common good of the biotic community can be achieved through the human beings’ giving up the anthropocentrism and finding ways to promote a peaceful coexistence with other species. In this paper, I interpret the ‘land ethics’ as advocated by A. Leopold in light of the common good of the biotic community. In doing so, I contend that the ‘eco-localism’ is a practical and effective strategy to enhance the sustainability of the biotic community. A diversity of coexisting species is crucial in achieving and promoting the sustainability of our biotic community. Thus, with sufficient historical evidence, I emphasize that women - with their ‘local knowledge’ and their labor - have made significant contributions to the preservation of the diversity of species in our biotic community albeit little credit is given to them.