A Preliminary Study on the Connection between Shennong Beliefs in Taiwan and Modern Western Environmental Ethics

Is there any connection between Shennong beliefs in Taiwan and modern Western environmental ethics? What is the significance of linking the two together? This study first describes the development of modern Western environmental ethics, and then discusses the features of Shennong beliefs in Taiwan before comparing the two, followed by the conclusions. Several thousand years ago, Emperor Shennong taught us to “farm according to the natural 24 solar terms” and to “conserve natural resources and ecology.” These ideas coincide with the idea of “ecocentrism” in modern Western environmental ethics that has emerged through constant revision and dialectical reasoning following the industrial revolution.