The Analysis Of The Rationality Of Anthropocentrism

The rationality of anthropocentrism is of the utmost significance in directing human being to choose correct thoughts and manners, as well as extricating ourselves from the predicament of ecological crisis. However, anthropocentrism, considered by nature center doctrine as the ideological root of ecological crisis, has recently strongly criticized by it. It is, therefore, very important to search the theoretical basis for the rationality of anthropocentrism under such circumstances. This article, on the basis of Marxist practical and historical philosophy, under the guidance of its realistic, wise and farsighted thought of human study, closely grasping the two dimensionalities of human existence and the property of principal part of human being, through investigation into anthropocentrism and rethinking about the heckling to this ideology, and through analyzing this normal and special specimen in nature—human being, manages to find the theoretical basis for the rationality of anthropocentrism. This theoretical basis is the self-conscious and self-motivated principal part property of human being that is based on the harmonious and uniform relationship between two dimensionalities of human existence. Anthropocentrism based on such a foundation can surely direct human being first to choose correct thoughts and manners, then come out of the predicament of ecological crisis, and finally realize lasting survival and development. This article can be divided into four parts: The first part analyses the essential connotation of the rationality of anthropocentrism. Anthropocentrism is a kind of viewpoint regarding human beings as the center of the universe, which maintains that everything should be for the interests and value of human being, and we evaluate and arrange the world with the essential yardstick of human. As a continuously theoretical system, the development of anthropocentrism can be divided into three phases: primitive anthropocentrism, traditional anthropocentrism, and modern anthropocentrism. Under the global ecological crisis, anthropocentrism is besieged by the heckling of anti-anthropocentrism. Despite of that, anthropocentrism has indispensable rationality. Its visual angles of investigation are the two dimensionalities of existence of human being. One dimensionality is that, human being is a component part of nature whose survival anddevelopment has to rely on nature, in which man is a kind of natural existence, and ordinary natural substance; the other dimensionality is that, human being is the active and conscious principal part of cognition and practice, human being turns the "thing-in-itself world"into "thing-belong-to-human-being world"through practical activity, the relationship between human and nature is that of principal part and object, human being is a kind of self-conscious and self-motivated existence and also a kind of principal partial existence unlike other nature existences. These two dimensionalities determine that human being is an ambivalent existence; therefore, the rationality of anthropocentrism is essentially to correctly understand and appropriately deal with the relationship between the two dimensionalities of human existence. The primary problem of the rationality of anthropocentrism is the principal part property of human being. The principal part property of human being is the peculiar character of human being in practice and cognition. It develops in the lengthy historical process, and is objectively reflected in the intercoursing activities between human and nature in this process, and as a result, it has objectivity. In addition, the principal part property of human being is inevitable outcome ofcognition and practical activities, is a corroboration and representation of human being's substaintial potence and prime characteristic that human being "as human being", and its exertion is the requirement of human being's survival and development. therefore, the principal part property of human being also has actuality. The second part probes into the theoretical basis of the rationality of anthropocentrism. This theoretical basis should be about the theory of the principal part property of human being. The ancient Greece gave birth to two famous persons –Protagoras and Socrates. Protagoras thinks "Man is the measure of all things", while Socrates considers "Ration and soul are the measure of all things."Their thoughts symbolize the awakening of ancient Greece to the principal part property of human being. In western philosophy of earlier-modern times, Descartes raises "I think, therefore I am", while Kant puts forward "Man makes laws for nature"and establishes the lofty status of human being as "law-maker of nature", which definitely high praises the principal part property of human being. In modern western philosophy, Heidegger tries to realize the clearance of two-part separation of subject and object through opposing the traditional metaphysics, while Derrida's attempt toeliminate two-pard separation of subject and object is through deconstruction of logic center doctrine. Their attempts all ended in failure. This is a reversal prove that the principal part property of human being actually has its indispensable rationality. Marx profoundly recognizes that, human being is not only the principal part of cognition, but also the principal part of practice. Basing on the theory of "practical humanized nature sight", he defines human existence as two dimensionalities —"human as nature being "and "human as the principal partial existence".There is a kind of definite dialectic relationship between the two ones, that is the first dimensionality of human existence is the inevitable precondition and foundation of human survival and development, and is the outer rule that human being should obey; but the second dimensionality is the indispensable way of human being as being different from other beings, and is the inner rule that should be obeyed. They are both unified in human being's real life, counter-influencing and counter-balancing, and jointly helping human being's real existence. So, the principal part property of human being should be the self-conscious and self-motivated one based on the harmonious and uniform relationship between two dimensionalities ofhuman existence. Further more, the theoretical basis of the rationality of anthropocentrism should also be pursued in Marxist philosophy, which, in fact, is the self-conscious and self-motivated principal part property of human being that is based on the harmonious and uniform relationship between two dimensionalities of human existence. The third part is the heckling that the rationality of anthropocentrism meets with and rethinking to this heckling. It is a heckling from nature center doctrine. Nature center doctrine regards that anthropocentrism has "falsehood"in experience; has "limitation"in practice; and it is refusable in ethics. Their purpose is to eliminate the ideology of anthropocentrism, make human being break away from its trammels, and extricate ourselves from the predicament of ecological crisis under the guidance of ideology of nature center doctrine. Nature center doctrine, as a new ideology system, has its positive theoretical significance. It consciously recognizes "the first dimensionality of human existence", that is, the dimensionality of human being as nature being; criticizes the principal part property of human being that is blindly stinking; and also puts forward the concept of "ecological value". Under the background of worldwide ecological crisis, nature centerdoctrine plays an active and effective role in correcting the incorrect way of behavior by which human being treats nature, and cautioning human being to respect nature and protect nature. However, nature center doctrine also has its theoretical predicament that it cannot get rid of. We cannot derivate "should"from "be", as what is regarded by nature center doctrine; meanwhile, it is skeptical for nature center doctrine to propose the theory that nature has "internal value"; further more, nature hasn't the qualifications of right-owners, and cannot become the owner of rights, thus having no rights of nature as said by nature center doctrine. The root of these theoretical predicament of nature center doctrine is that, it unilaterally emphasizes the first dimensionality of human existence, and neglects its second dimensionality, thus inevitably absolutizing the first dimensionality. Nature center doctrine is infeasible in practice, it cannot replace anthropocentrism and instruct human being to step out of the living predicament that we are facing. Therefore, it proves the rationality of anthropocentrism from the reversed angle. The fourth part discusses the theoretical value and practical significance of the rationality of anthropocentrism. The rationality ofanthropocentrism, the theoretical basis of which is the self-conscious and self-motivated principal part property of human being that is based on the harmonious and uniform relationship between two dimensionalities of human existence, actually is a combination of human ideology in Marxist philosophy and anthropocentrism in ecology philosophy, an understanding of Marxist philosophy from another angle, and therefore, having significant theoretical value. First, the rationality of anthropocentrism expands the content of Marxist philosophy and enriches the Marxist Ecology philosophy. Next, the rationality of anthropocentrism develops the dialectical nature sight of Marxism. Finally, the theory of the rationality of anthropocentrism provides theoretical basis for the lasting development sight. The rationality of anthropocentrism has not only significant theoretical value, but also positive practical significance. With the guidance of the rationality of anthropocentrism, human being can voluntarily adopt the green technological form which is beneficial for both the realization of human's interest and the protection of natural ecological environment; replace the living form—"mass-produce and mass-consumption"by the producing and consuming form that is in the light of human being's...