From The Absolute Rationality To The Limited Rationality

Environmental crisis is the main one which the human beings must deal withpresently. In this case, it has important theoretical and practical meaning to think itdeeply and systematically by way of philosophy.In the aspect of rationality, this thesis analyses the original and measurements ofthe environmental crisis. The present author thinks that the conflict between thefinitude of the rationalism and the infinitude of desire makes the appearance of theenvironmental crisis possible. Under the direction of the recent theories, humanbeings set up the modern technology which brings about irresistible influence onenvironment, this is the direct reason. According to the meaning of rationality, it issupposed to be a special ability to be seen as born with the human beings. Since theancient Greek times, human beings have been seen as the beings of the rationality, those who confined their lives with the rationality. Whereas, rationality is not only akind of ability, but also it reflects the characteristics of human beings. People in thattime resume rationality as the reflection of natural energy, and therefore they form theidea of nature-awing. In the Middle Ages, Westerners thought that only under thedirection of God, the rationality did have meaning, whereas human beings and naturewere the artworks of God. After the renaissance, people thought that rationality wasself-sufficient, while nature was nothing but the things human beings could use astheir will. Obviously, the views towards rationality vary. The appearance ofenvironmental crisis indicated that human beings must misunderstand the definition ofrationality.Human beings are rational, and they can make instruments to self-supply theirdesires. But the rationality is not ever-lasting powerful, and they should play the roleas “supervisors”, seeing if they can be put into practice. Desire is supposed to bespiritual impulse, according to their basic nature, it will spare no effort to make itself-owned if it was profitable. Therefore, the conflict between rationality and desireis irresistible. In history, if human beings had less sufficient rationality, it would raisesome requirements to make their desire come true. Otherwise, if the conflicts betweenthem were too obvious, human beings would do some harm to themselves. Under low level of agriculture in the medieval times, human beings were less rational, and lessdesirable, therefore, people at that time had no environmental crisis.However, in recent years, the betterment of people’s living condition fortified thebeliefs of human beings. They started to believe that rationality was the noblest one ofall the beings, which was uncontrollable and omnipresent. In such cases, humanbeings had their space in the world and other beings therefore had been seen as theobject of people’s activities. This causes two special influences, one is theenhancement on the development of modern technology, the other is the liberation ofthe desire in names of rationality. For the reason that human beings have been seen asthe only rational beings in the universe, therefore the conflict is more obvious, and theformation of object-subject thinking method appears. Nothing but this kind ofthinking makes the mathematical method for the scientists possible. Additionally, ifthe rationality of human beings is exaggerated, human beings have been seen as theruler of the nature, and the beings in the nature become slaves. In the beginning,human beings are excited, but in a short time, human beings find out that they cannotdeal with the environmental crisis which is made by them. At that time, people realizethat the rationality is not omnipresent but troublesome.The appearance of environmental crisis cannot be dealt with by non-rationality, for human beings have not this kind of ability. Obviously, in faced with crisis, peopleare supposed to be responsible.Some people think that though the reason is caused by rationality, theestablishment of non-rationality is reasonable. In fact, the success of non-rationality isthe proof of limitedness of human beings in the negative way. In the remote ancienttimes as well as the Middle ages, people in the first place thought that the notion ofthis limitedness was not strange. But in the evolution of the human history, theabsoluteness of rationality was ignored. In such severe crisis, human beings must findrationality, such as the agnosticism and the skepticism.This present thesis firstly gives reflection on the definition of rationality.Afterwards, it gives light on the conflict between the limitedness of rationality and theun-limitedness of non-rationality. The absolute rationality which appeared in recentyears fortified the crash of human nature which was the root of environmental crisis.This thesis gives analysis on the internal organism of the environmental crisis inrecent years. Firstly, under the direction of rationality in recent years, moderntechnology develops in a high speed, which fortifies the control of nature by humanbeings. Meanwhile, the modern technology indicates that people cannot deal with theharms made by them. Secondly, the rationality in recent years liberates the desire, and therefore it loses necessary supervisors. This thesis assumes that the cause of thiscrisis is the ignorance of rationality. Therefore, human beings must lead a life underthe full understanding of limitedness.This thesis critically analyzes the reasonability of limitedness and some relevantdefinitions. The present author believes that the body of human beings, nature, andothers as well as the emotion which form the four lateral world, and the non-tractableborders of rationality. The so-called limitedness makes the requirements that peopleshould fully understand the border of rationality and supervise their activities. Suchunderstanding gives encouragement to peoples and their activities of aspiring ofemotion, therefore the activities of human beings are limited.This thesis makes some analysis on the important definitions of environmentalethnology. This thesis assumes that the appearance of ecological world view is notformed alone, which must be admitted under the condition of the formation oflimitedness. Human beings should take response for the environmental crisis, which isalso not self sufficient. For human beings must fully understand the limitedness ofthemselves. Meanwhile, only if the limitedness is fully understood, should peoplerealize the meaning of ecological confinements and the meaning of the developmentof human nature. In a word, only if human beings make full understanding of limitedness, shouldhuman beings exist harmoniously with themselves as well as with the nature in suchera full of crisis.