Ecosofía: Lecciones filosóficas para reconciliarnos con el planeta
The human connection with nature has been weakening since the modern era: Earth is no longer understood as an integrated and living entity, but rather as an inert and exploitable material. Philosophers like Raimond Panikar propose (re)initiating a new relationship with nature from a philosophy that accepts the human condition as it is, in its role with its surroundings.
Our understanding of what surrounds us determines how we act, think, and live. Our ontologies represent a fundamental element in narrating our existence. We live in a historical, political, and social context where scientific knowledge is constantly growing, driven by technical and economic progress, but we face a significant challenge: coexistence with nature. This bond has been gradually weakening since the beginning of the modern era. In a short time, we have shifted from conceiving Earth as an integrated and almost sacred living being to viewing it as an inert and material entity that we exploit beyond its capabilities, transforming our interaction into a harmful one. This is evidenced by high pollution rates and the effects of climate change, which urge us to rethink our relationship with the planet. To rethink an ecosophy.
Decades ago, some minds started addressing this. Arne Naess (1912-2002), a Norwegian ecological thinker, coined the concept of deep ecology during the last century, advocating a philosophy of ecological harmony or balance. His ambition was to end "modern arrogance" and to recognize Earth once again as a living entity, emphasizing the need to listen to it as a subject, reclaiming ontologies that refer to nature as "Mother Earth," "Pachamama," or "Unci Maka." Naess suggests abandoning the "technological adolescence" in which humanity has immersed itself to rediscover that we are part of the great wonder that is nature; to regain and develop a harmonious and participatory relationship with the web of life.
However, in the quest for resignifying 'ecosophy,' Raimon Panikkar (1918-2010) takes the lead. This philosopher, doctor in philosophy, sciences, and theology, was a professor at Harvard and California—as well as a lecturer around the world for his valuable contributions to intercultural and interreligious dialogue—and represents one of the most lucid voices of Catalan philosophy globally. To restore the care for nature, Panikkar proposes 'ecosophy' as the solution that will allow us to once again pay attention to the wisdom of the planet.
Today, we face what Panikkar calls "capitalist technocracy," a worldview that has anthropomorphized Earth from a consumptive and extractivist perspective; industrialized to such an extent that the system is incompatible with ecological balance and the survival of other life forms. Faced with this reality, the philosopher calls for a cosmoteandric conception of Earth, where the cosmos, the human being, and the divine being are understood as three agents that together form a single living entity.
Panikkar thus retrieves Naess's concept of deep ecology and formulates 'ecosophy' as that knowledge about the planet and its own wisdom that we must listen to and share to fuel this paradigm shift. It is thus marked in the prefix 'eco', derived from the Greek root 'oikos', translated as 'house' or 'community'. Therefore, in the struggle against Earth, it will be humanity that loses, because nature can continue its course without humanity, whereas humanity cannot live without it. Thus, the philosopher explains that there will never be true sustainability without a transformation of consciousness. This is where this ecologist metaphysics, this ecosophy, emerges as a fundamental requirement to (re)initiate a new relationship between human beings and nature.
Three pillars for the new ecosophy
How can we promote this transition? Panikkar exposes three pillars of our societies that can act as a springboard. Firstly, politics: business as usual has ended up generating unsustainable progress where technological civilization has annihilated entire cultures in favor of a single system and a single economy. Both models, oriented towards infinite development through competition between states and markets, have led to massive exploitation of our resources, ecosystems, and lives. For the Catalan philosopher, political measures must be promoted that generate a new healthy coexistence. Secondly, science: Panikkar argues that technocracy has generated a conception of Earth and nature as an inert and lifeless reality and recommends recovering the capacity to listen, understanding nature as a living and connected organism.
Lastly, philosophy: The metaphor of progress as an arrow forward is a modern convention that does not understand the true circular rhythms of nature. Philosophy opens up the possibility of constructing new ontologies that recover this lost connection. Specifically from ecosophy, the essence of life consists of accepting the human condition and discovering in it truth and peace. In this way, the cosmoteandric reality relates to the whole, but breaking the vicious circle in which we find ourselves. An eminently emancipatory task. According to Panikkar, we must seek our healing from remembering Earth as our home, not as our attic.
