The Anthropological Factor of the Ecological Crisis in the Interpretation of K.-O. Appel: Epistemological and Methodological Aspects

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the anthropological impact on the environmental crisis of our time in the understanding of K.-O. Appel. To achieve this goal, the author uses the methodology of hermeneutical analysis for the interpretation of philosophical ideas and texts and the methodology of comparative analysis in terms of understanding the conditions and determinants of the environmental crisis in different countries of the world.

The article shows that K.-O. Appel, on the one hand, substantiated the growing sense of powerlessness and pessimism of modern man regarding the scale of environmental challenges, and on the other hand, recognized the potential readiness of modern humanity to change individual lifestyles and develop a new environmentally motivated attitude towards nature.

It is proved that K.-O. Appel formulated three methodological requirements in terms of developing a new paradigm of collective responsibility of humanity: 1) a fundamental recognition of the need to reorganize or create “new institutions” (international confederations) in order to comply with environmental legislation; 2) achievement of sufficient educational competence, free will of the majority of citizens around the world and the functioning of the rule of law as fundamental conditions for the introduction of collective moral responsibility for the natural environment; 3) achievement of ethical universalism based on interaction and “coexistence of various socio-cultural life forms” and the fundamental recognition by humanity of the need to limit certain value and consumer intentions of different ethno-national and religious communities.

The study reveals K.-O. Appel's justification of the need to use the principle of anthropocentrism in universal macroethics through man's assumption of the function of protection and care for living beings under the condition of limited communicative compensation and reciprocity. The newest concept of macroethics of collective responsibility of mankind requires respect and reverence for nature and life, which should become a criterion for the adoption of laws and implementation of practical measures to limit the negative human impact on the natural environment.