Humanism is a rational philosophy which affirms the dignity of each human being. Humanists (1) support the maximization of individual liberty in parallel with social and planetary responsibility; (2) believe that our values, whether religious, ethical, social, or political, are derived from human experience and culture; (3) derive the goals of life from human need and interest rather than from theological or ideological abstractions; and (4) assert that humanity must take responsibility for its own destiny (The Humanist Magazine).
Some critics, especially those concerned with environmental issues, have noted that humanism has a bias toward self (e.g. human) interest, without regard to the natural world and our fellow species. Similarly, many religious folk can be criticized for believing that the natural world was given to us by divine authority to pilfer at our will and solely for our needs. Those who belittle the importance of Nature to meeting the full suite of human needs have not fully considered the human connection to the natural world.
The well-being of the land has a direct impact on the well-being of Homo sapiens. We derive our material and spiritual wealth from our landscape. Without proper care of Nature, we limit the possibility of an equal or greater quality of life for our fellow citizens, both spatially near and temporally far. As Phillip J. Regal notes in the book Ecohumansim: Environmentalism and Humanism:"the humanist commitment to the ethical and material quality of the human condition means that the earth must be regarded as home and habitat. People’s lives should not be passed off as merely stepping stones to salvation in some eternal beyond.”
The Humanist Manifesto III notes that humanists believe in a planetary duty to protect nature's integrity, diversity, and beauty in a sustainable manner. The contemporary conservation movement is almost perfectly aligned with this perspective. Conservationists recognize that human consumption, which is inevitable, results in unavoidable impacts to the natural landscape. However, we can decide how we distribute the impact of our footprint. Some areas, due to their beauty, recreational opportunities, provision of ecological services, or support of biodiversity need to be protected. Other areas must be open to human use--working landscapes such as rangeland, timber farms, and agricultural fields. This doesn't mean we utilize such areas haphazardly. We need to tend to these landscapes with foresight in regards to short- and long-term impacts. We need to understand how to best use such resources in a sustainable way, with minimal impact to the integrity of the Natural environment and health of human beings. As such, conservation is the junction of humanism and environmentalism--what some call "ecohumanism."
(whether at small scales (above) or landscapes (below))
is an integral component to ecohumanism
Ecohumanism may require traditional environmentalists, as well as traditional religious folk, to reconsider the human relation to Nature. Many consider humans as being separate from Nature. Even environmentalists, those concerned with the well-being of our natural environment, are often guilty of assuming humans are separate from Nature in order to advocate their position. Specifically, they proclaim that our species' interaction with the environment is unnatural, despite simultaneously claiming we are inseparable from Nature. We can't have it both ways. We must be practical, yet not give up on our values. There is no "objective" Nature that exists separate from humans. Our interaction with the Natural world is...natural. Not in the sense that "God gave us dominion over the earth" or that "our impacts are foreign", rather natural in that they happen. And, they have consequences. Nature has a unique response to our actions.
and without (below). Both have been logged
but with different approaches.
In order to determine whether our interactions are acceptable, we must decide whether or not Nature's responses to them provide and sustain the things we value such as clean water, clean air, timber, minerals, metals, food, beauty, recreation opportunities, spiritual retreats, and sustenance of biodiversity. We can't have all those things everywhere, but we can have a landscape which balances each of those needs in order to allow us to live an ethical life with the well-being of ourselves, humanity, and our natural world as our primary goal.
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