HUMANITY IN NATURE: CONSERVING YET CREATING |
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| Authors: | Karl E. Peters |
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| Affiliation: | Professor of philosophy and religion at Rollins College, Winter Park, FL 32789 and co-editor of Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science;. A much longer version of this paper was presented during sub-conference V, "The Human Encounter with Nature: Destruction and Reconstruction," of the World Academic Conference of the Seoul Olympiad (21 August-8 September 1988). The paper is reprinted with the permission of WASCO, which is publishing the conference proceedings in a series of books under the conference's general title, "The World Community in Post-Industrial Society."©1989 by the Korea Christian Academy. |
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| Abstract: | Abstract. Developing a scientifically grounded philosophy of cosmic evolution, and using the moral norm of completeness as dynamic harmony, this paper argues that humans are a part of nature in both its conserving and emergent aspects. Humans are both material and cultural, instinctual-emotional and rational, creatures and creators, and carriers of stability and change. To ignore any of the multifaceted aspects of humanity in relation to the rest of nature is to commit one of a number of fallacies that are grounded in a dualistic-conquest mentality. Examples of some new developments in philosophy and theology, metaphorical images, and ritual show how to overcome dualism in favor of a dynamic harmony of humanity within nature. |
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| Keywords: | cosmic evolution dualism humanity and nature metaphor ritual |
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