儒教の環境思想(環境科学部創立10周年記念特別号)

概要

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In this article I make the following points: (1) Confucianism has a clear consciousness of the need to conserve life ; timely and suitable use of living things is regarded as the basis of virtuous politics. (2) Confucianism sees Heaven and Earth as the father and mother of all things, as their origin. (3) Living things are seen as being produced and nurtured by Heaven and Earth, and among such living things, human beings are held to receive particular favor from Heaven and Earth. For this reason human beings are termed "the spirit of the myriad phenomena" and "children of Heaven and Earth." Evident here is consciousness of both the dignity of human beings and their equality. (4) In this world that human beings and other living things make their home, human beings are obligated to love their blood relatives, people in general, and other living things. A clear distinction marks these three forms of love. (5) Kaibara Ekiken's environmental thought was based on that of Confucianism, as described above. His originality lies in the way in which thoroughly digested Confucian environmental thought and gave it a coherent, systematic structure.