III. THE CRISIS AND EFFECTS OF MODERN ANTHROPOCENTRISM
115. Modern anthropocentrism (the belief that human beings are the central or most
significant species on the planet; in the sense that they are considered
to have a moral status or value higher than that of other animals) has paradoxically ended up prizing
technical thought over reality, since “the technological mind sees
nature as an insensate order, as a cold body of facts, as a mere
‘given’, as an object of utility, as raw material to be hammered into
useful shape; it views the cosmos similarly as a mere ‘space’ into which
objects can be thrown with complete indifference”.[92]
The intrinsic dignity of the world is thus compromised. When human
beings fail to find their true place in this world, they misunderstand
themselves and end up acting against themselves: “Not only has God given
the earth to man, who must use it with respect for the original good
purpose for which it was given, but, man too is God’s gift to man. He
must therefore respect the natural and moral structure with which he has
been endowed”.[93]
He doesn't at all mind insulting the insensitivity of modernism. He has a point to make and he'll make it over any sensitivity to bad feelings. I like him and I appreciate his directness. Time's a wasting.
116. Modernity has been marked by an excessive anthropocentrism which
today, under another guise, continues to stand in the way of shared
understanding and of any effort to strengthen social bonds. The time has
come to pay renewed attention to reality and the limits it imposes;
this in turn is the condition for a more sound and fruitful development
of individuals and society. An inadequate presentation of Christian
anthropology gave rise to a wrong understanding of the relationship
between human beings and the world. Often, what was handed on was a
Promethean (Titan in Greek mythology,
best known as the deity in Greek mythology who was the creator of
mankind and its greatest benefactor, who gifted mankind with fire stolen
from Mount Olympus) vision of mastery over the world, which gave the impression
that the protection of nature was something that only the faint-hearted
cared about. Instead, our “dominion” over the universe should be
understood more properly in the sense of responsible stewardship.[94]
117. Neglecting to monitor the harm done to nature and the
environmental impact of our decisions is only the most striking sign of a
disregard for the message contained in the structures of nature itself.
When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor
person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities – to offer just a few
examples – it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself;
everything is connected. Once the human being declares independence from
reality and behaves with absolute dominion, the very foundations of our
life begin to crumble, for “instead of carrying out his role as a
cooperator with God in the work of creation, man sets himself up in
place of God and thus ends up provoking a rebellion on the part of
nature”.[95]
118. This situation has led to a constant schizophrenia, wherein a
technocracy which sees no intrinsic value in lesser beings coexists with
the other extreme, which sees no special value in human beings. But one
cannot prescind (to detach for purposes of thought) from humanity. There can be no renewal of our
relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself. There can
be no ecology without an adequate anthropology. When the human person
is considered as simply one being among others, the product of chance or
physical determinism, then “our overall sense of responsibility wanes”.[96]
A misguided anthropocentrism need not necessarily yield to
“biocentrism”, for that would entail adding yet another imbalance,
failing to solve present problems and adding new ones. Human beings
cannot be expected to feel responsibility for the world unless, at the
same time, their unique capacities of knowledge, will, freedom and
responsibility are recognized and valued.
119. Nor must the critique of a misguided anthropocentrism
underestimate the importance of interpersonal relations. If the present
ecological crisis is one small sign of the ethical, cultural and
spiritual crisis of modernity, we cannot presume to heal our
relationship with nature and the environment without healing all
fundamental human relationships. Christian thought sees human beings as
possessing a particular dignity above other creatures; it thus
inculcates esteem for each person and respect for others. Our openness
to others, each of whom is a “thou” capable of knowing, loving and
entering into dialogue, remains the source of our nobility as human
persons. A correct relationship with the created world demands that we
not weaken this social dimension of openness to others, much less the
transcendent dimension of our openness to the “Thou” of God. Our
relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our
relationship with others and with God. Otherwise, it would be nothing
more than romantic individualism dressed up in ecological garb, locking
us into a stifling immanence (being within the limits of possible experience or knowledge).
120. Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of
nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can
we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable
beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to
protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and
creates difficulties? “If personal and social sensitivity towards the
acceptance of the new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that
are valuable for society also wither away”.[97]
Pope Francis is Roman Catholic and there is no inconvenient pregnancy. He is allowed to be absolute as he sees fit, not in just Rome, but, in the USA when he addresses his flock. He brings brevity to seeing the world as a whole from seeing life in a continuum.
121. We need to develop a new synthesis capable of overcoming the
false arguments of recent centuries. Christianity, in fidelity to its
own identity and the rich deposit of truth which it has received from
Jesus Christ, continues to reflect on these issues in fruitful dialogue
with changing historical situations. In doing so, it reveals its eternal
newness.[98]
