Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.12, 2018

Marx and the Political and Philosophical Basis for Ecological Civilization

(Abstract)

Zhang Dun

Ecological civilization is not only a practical issue of political decision-making and social policy, but also, in its deep conceptual structure, a question in political philosophy that concerns the construction of ecological justice. From the perspective of actual historical reflection, what we call an ecological crisis is essentially the inevitable result of the centuries-long contradiction between the capitalist mode of production and consumption and the earth’s natural environment. From the perspective of ideological critique, all ecological questions can be traced back to the modern law that “humanity conquers nature through science and technology to meet its own needs.” Therefore, in reflecting on the political and philosophical basis for ecological civilization, it is necessary to trace the root and essence of the entire ecological issue back to Marx’s political critique of the capitalist production and consumption system and to carry out critical historical investigation into the modern law that “humanity conquers nature through science and technology to meet its own needs.” This involves three elements: how can the relationship between man and nature and a concept of nature that conforms to the principle of justice become possible? By what means can science and technology, as manifestations of forces that are part of human nature, be realized, and what are their limitations? What are the true needs of man as man and how should they be satisfied? The West’s Marxist ecological theory of a “conserver society” criticizes the highly alienated and complex social forms of late capitalist consumer society, and proposes to stop wasteful over-production, abandon endless over-consumption and change the social system that has led to this ecological crisis. This has inspired us to establish the principles of Chinese-style ecological justice and even build a “beautiful China with an ecological civilization.”