Arts , Humanities & Social Science

Abstract

The late modern views that the environment is simply there for the use and benefit of the human person without value persist to this day. The purpose of this article, The Ethics of Responsibility: The Philosophical Proposals of Hans Jonas and its Critical Appraisal towards Environmental Ethics for a Technological Age,  is to add to the growing discussion which seeks to reconnect the environment and the human person through an exploration of the views offered by Hans Jonas. The imperative of responsibility serves as a guide to an establishment of an ethics for the future. This ethics guided by general principles of authentic dialogue unfolds an important relationship between those theories concerning our view and the use of the environment and human activities championed by modern technology. The significance of this study rests on the fact that the environmental crisis has become so urgent and leaves no one unaffected. The global environmental challenges, especially in our technological era, present serious ethical difficulties. For these reasons this work seeks to examine and evaluate the environmental ethics of Hans Jonas. He presents the dangers that will come to the environment if an ethics of responsibility is not taken towards the environment and further generations. At the same time we want to propose what could be solutions to the present day environmental crisis. The investigation concludes that the environment and the human person share essentially the same scope. Both lead to an understanding of that reality and truth which underline all that occupy human interest.