A Contrastive Study Of The Inner Chapters Of Chuang Tzu And Emerson’s Nature From The Perspective Of Ecological Ethics

As the development of global economy in recent years, more and more peopleare aware of the severity of ecological crisis. Although the western researchers havebeen committed to the study of ecological ethics since last century, there existslimitations in all theories. So far, there is no certain philosophical theory that canrespond to the increasingly complicated problems in the present age. Faced with theserious problems of environmental pollution, population explosion, climate change,decreasing biodiversity, shortage of resources, all nations have to reckon withhuman’s relationship with nature before they carry on any new policy aiming atbooming economy. When it comes to this subject, the thesis will focus on the twomost important philosophers who play almost equally influential role in the formationof Chinese and American national culture and identity. As the representative figure ofTaoism philosophy, Chuang Tzu believes that man is nothing but a part of nature, andadvocates a harmonious relationship between man and nature. His view obviouslyagrees with deep green ethics to a large extent. On the contrary, Ralph WaldoEmerson insists that man is the governor of the world, and all the other things innature were created to serve human beings. From this perspective, his view of natureis more closely related to the light green ethics. Besides, their different views onman’s relationship with nature also lies in their philosophical principles. ChuangTzu’s views are based on materialistic dialectics, while Emerson’s is on thetranscendentalism.Living in different social and historical background, both of them made anattempt to nourish themselves physically and mentally by approaching nature. ForChuang Tzu, his purpose of getting close to nature is to escape the secular troubles inthe chaos of the Warring States Period. As the representative of Taoism philosophy, heinherited Lao Tzu’s emphasis on health maintenance. As a result, he advocates thenatural way of life, believing it can help expand people’s life span. Emerson, on theother hand, insists that man should regain his innate divinity which is alienated in the industrial age by integrating himself into nature. In addition, from his point of view,all things and all phenomena in nature exist for the sake of man’s survival anddevelopment. Among other things, man can acquire knowledge and discover theinterior disciplines of things through an intensive observation of nature. In a sense,Emerson’s view of nature is more closely related to anthropocentrism, while ChuangTzu’s agrees with ecocentrism.In spite of the advantages and limitations in their viewpoints, both of themmade a great contribution to the formation of their own national culture. In China,natural spirit advocated by Chuang Tzu plays the role of religion which helps peoplekeep mental balance, while humanism reflected in Emerson’s view of nature hasbecome the core value of American culture. What’s more, they provide the modernresearchers and philosophers with valuable ecological wisdom which may helpresolve the increasing serious ecological problems.