The ecological theory of Arne Naess

Until well into the 20th century, both psychology and the rest of the disciplines in charge of studying different aspects of human existence understood that, as people, we are disconnected from the environment in which we live; that is to say, that we are individuals, in the most literal sense of the term. This idea may seem very bizarre put in this way, but in fact it continues to make itself felt in our way of thinking.

For example, when we say that each person carves out his own destiny, or that the life of each person depends mainly of how he manages his willpower, we are treating human life as if it were something disconnected from the context.

This idea was also predominant in Western philosophy and, therefore, led us to assume a lifestyle based on the use of nature as if it were a simple collection of resources. But this ended, among other things, thanks to the work of environmental philosophers, among whom highlighted the Norwegian thinker Arne Naess. Next we will see how he thought and how he conceived our way of life.

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Who was Arne Naess?

This philosopher was born in Oslo in 1912, and in 1933 he became the youngest professor at the University of Oslo; he devoted himself to teaching philosophy classes.

From a young age, Naess showed an interest in the environment and the protection of nature, even at a time when environmentalism was practically non-existent. However, he began to put his ideas into practice after he retired.

In 1970, he chained himself to an area near a waterfall in a fjord where they planned to build a dam and demanded that the project be stopped, and also helped promote many other actions of environmentalists based on direct action.

These types of experiences led Arne Naess to form a philosophy about the relationship between human beings and nature.

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The ecological theory of Arne Naess

Naess's philosophy It is usually summed up with the motto “think like a mountain”, which this environmentalist used occasionally, although it was used for the first time by another activist, Aldo Leopold. This phrase, reminiscent of Buddhist proverbs, does not really express an idea that is difficult to understand: this Norwegian thinker He believed that the fact of treating the human being as his was something separate from the rest of nature responds to an illusion, a mirage.

The cause of this collective delirium It has to do with anthropocentrism, the belief that everything material exists to respond to the needs of the human being, as if it were part of a hotel garden. Since our species has historically had some success in adapting the environment to its interests, we have believed that this will always be the case, and that this is the reason for the existence of the environment: to provide us with resources that we can consume.

Another derivation of the idea that we should think like a mountain is that among our main interests should be the protection of the environment; in this way, We reduce the chances of natural disasters occurring and, with it, we improve our perspectives of enjoying quality of life in a remarkable way.

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The expanded consciousness

Both Arne Naess and Aldo Leopold believed that because we have the ability to think in abstract terms, we must take responsibility for the environment. Unlike animals with reduced cognitive abilities, we can think about the long-term consequences term of things and, therefore, it is an ethical necessity to do everything possible to reduce our negative impact on the means, medium.

So in harmony with nature is the key to coexist in a correct way and in which the majority of the planet's inhabitants benefit from the fact that evolution has created a species capable of thinking about everything. Instead of focusing our concerns on the trivial aspects of everyday life, we should look back and protect where we came from: the biosphere.

The "deep me"

Arne Naess proposed the concept of the "ecological self" to refer to this self-image in which the concept we have of ourselves is linked to the natural environment to which it belongs and to the community of living beings that cohabit in it. these. Defending this form of self-recognition can lead us to see ourselves not as individuals, but as part of a network of living beings and forms of expression of nature: eagles, fish, wolves, etc.

Of course, it seems that this way of thinking was influenced by the philosophies of Amerindian peoples and animists, although Naess did not put much emphasis on the spiritual dimension that it pains him to give to this perspective. In any case, it is clear that it is a way of thinking that would be accepted by many people today.