- Author: Rommel Utungga Pasopati
- From: Graduate Student of Driyarkara School of Philosophy Jakarta
Abstract:
Green movement, known as environmentalism, accused modernism in supporting anthropocentrism to destroy nature. The environmental damage is excess of natural exploitation as result of human being’s deed as subject to nature as object. Human, whom in modern context is considered eligible partially to be progressive, exploits natural resources through human-based democracy. This exploitation is contested by environmentalism which sees human and nature in a cosmological holistic unity; people should be responsible to nature than exploit it for own progress. Environmentalism criticizes modernism in radical or democratic way. While radical side sees nature as a metaphysical ideology, democratic side sees nature from human’s view. Actions-from demonstrations, green politics, to sustainable development-still show separations between human and nature. There is an alternative beside partial-modern and holistic-environmentalism; that is particularity. Highlighting the particular means understanding minor stories in everyday life, emphasizing human’s specific choices, and exposing possibility of human’s attention to nature as seen in their contacts with natural damage. Its characteristics are appreciating uniqueness of every living creature, living together with natural life, rejecting any single ideological for human and nature, and looking at mutual relationships between human and nature. Not throwing rubbish to any place, recycling waste, and doing cleaning work together (kerja bakti) are even more meaningful for individuals rather than talking about green paradigm. In short, highlighting particularity of everyday life may show anthropocentric and ecocentric relations in deeper human and nature frameworks.
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