근대과학의 반환경성과 환경운동의 방향

Anti - environmental Characteristics of Modern Science and Technology and Direction of Environmental Protection Movement

Modem sciences and technologies were developed remarkably after the industrial revolution in the 18th century. It is well known that the philosophical background of this development is materialisitc mechanical viewpoint on the universe which was formulated by Rene Descarte and Isac Newton et. al. This kind of viewpoint has brought into a change in methodology of research and development since then, and it is known as reductionism. Reductionism was accepted as a proper tool to understand any object since it was regarded that there is no inter-relationship among the components of the universe. If we know the components in detail, we would understand the universe automatically. However, as the science has progressed, we begin to realize that it is impossible to understand the universe with reductionism only. Many kind of scientific evidences which claim that the universe is a one unit as a whole were begun to be accumulated. Nowadays this kind of change from reductionism to holism in methodology and viewpoint is known as a “new science”. Because of the materialsitic viewpoint, many problems were developed along with the progress of science and technology. One of the most severe problem among them is environmental pollution. Nature was regarded as a resource supplier and waste depot according to the materialstic viewpoint. We did not think it as a companion with all living things including human being. Furthermore, nature and human being were regarded as separated objects without having any fundamental relationship. There was only exploiting-and-exploited relations between them. As a result, environment pollution was unavoidable in the development of industry. As the effect of pollution becomes severe, many concerned people began to worry about the future of mankind. This caused a strong anti-pollution environmental protection movement. However, as far as the environmental movement is based on the materialstic viewpoint such as giving the first consideration to the mankind, it could not succeed. If we keep this attitude, the vicious cycle of problems would continue even though it is successful in reducing environmental pollution. Therefore, for the successful environmental movement, it is necessary for us to change the viewpoint from materialstic to holistic. Under this circumstances, all of the living things on the earth could survive in the future.