International Journal of Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS) ISSN: 2654-2706, Volume 3, Number 1, April 2020 Ecological Virtue: Articulating Tolerance as a Mutual- Respect Between Human Being and Environment Muhammad Nur Prabowo Setyabudi Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Jakarta, Indonesia <[email protected]> Abstract This paper elaborates the meaning of eco-tolerance in the context of ecological community between human and environment. Tolerance is often discussed as theological conception related to the relationship between religion (religious virtue) or socio-political conception related to the relationship between community or identity (political virtue). But how to build a tolerant relationship between human and their environment? What kind of wisdom that we need? I discuss about tolerance as an ecological wisdom or, “ecological virtue”, and a need for human to become a moral subject who has an ecological insight. I will elaborate ethical arguments from the perspective of virtue ethics, one of important disciplines in normative ethics, and environmental ethics, the most important branch in applied ethics, which describe that humans really need to have a mindset of ecocentric oriented, be wise and respectful toward the nature and the environment, build a mutual respect relationship, tolerance is not only a main value in political community, but also a main value in ecological community in a mutual respect ecosystem atmosphere and the existence of mutual recognition between human and nature. Keywords: tolerance, environmental ethics, ecological virtue, antropocentrism, ecocentrism. I. Introduction to Environmental environment. A trend of appreciation Ethics becomes higher for environmental One thing that is good to become ethics and becomes the part of the an attention for all of us as academician, most popular disciplines in applied that today we welcome “environmental ethics. Environmental ethics is the turn”: back to the awareness toward branch of philosophy and applied ethics which describes the moral relationship 35 Ecological Virtue: Articulating Tolerance as a Mutual-Respect Between Human Being and Environment between human and their environment citizen that is based on the awareness or universe, and discusses about how to reason, think, and justify to then human should behave toward their be able to accept and not to force to environment. At least, awareness toward refuse something that he disagrees on, environment becomes an important part although he is able to. Today there is a from “academic community”, although trend to upgrade to see tolerance as not to formulate it to be a political policy only as a passive gesture, but is more requires a more serious effort. as active tolerance, and to upgrade the One of the models that is developed quality of tolerance at a bigger portion in the study of environmental ethics is which is equal to the challenge that we emphasizing on the need to improve face. the mindset and the character of human However, tolerance in a more subject. Expansionist model approach positive definition is the ability to to ecology, for instance, emphasizes perform an attitude of “mutual respect”, the central role of moral subjects and “mutual affirmation”, and especially moral awareness, of how the human “mutual recognition”. In my opinion, develops their ecological awareness, this conception is not only needed develops their traditional heritage, so in the context of sociocultural in the that it can protect their next generation, intercultural relationship, or religion in non-animal generation, vegetal the interreligious relationship, or politic generation, and life as a whole.[1] This in the interpersonal relationship, but is the point where the discussion about also in the context of ecology within “tolerance” and “virtue” has more the context of human relationship with significance. Tolerance as political sense nature/environment. and individual policy towards social In the context of the relationship community are often discussed, but in between human toward nature, it the cosmological sense of the ecological is obvious that it needs a tolerant community, it has not received a proper relationship between human and their portion of the discussion. Tolerance is environment. In certain definition, closely related to individual awareness tolerance is a tool to achieve the peace to abandon ego and be wiser and and harmony. Whereas, human does respectful towards ‘the other’: his not only need to be peaceful with each sacred environment. other, but also with their environment. That human should make the nature II. Speaking Tolerance in as their life partner, others also need Ecological Context equal recognition, as the moral subject Tolerance is basically translated that deserves an appreciation. Thus, as the ability or skill that is owned as tolerance is not only applied in the 36 Muhammad Nur Prabowo Setyabudi social or political context, but also in hands. the ecological context. Many sharp criticisms have been addressed toward the anthropocentric III. Problem Identification: moral view which cannot be accepted Environmental Crisis in moral perspective. Today we need I once read the book which a new alternative perspective of describes about the environmental ethics which is holistic and ecological crisis and the earth future which we live oriented, which really emphasizes on in and it now has been inappropriate moral relationship to human and to place to live, entitled Uninhabitable justify the moral truth with a human Earth (2019). There are too many measurement only, by ignoring the environmental crisis elements that ecological measurement. should be mentioned here. On the first If anthropocentrism is continued, chapter, Davie Wallace-Wells explains what will happen is repressive and the chaotic condition and environmental dominative behaviors, and it will crisis that occur today so it is described cause a bad consequence not only dramatically that earth is not a proper for environment, but also for human and comfortable place and it does not himself. The main criticism upon the give any future anymore for human.[2] nature damage is that up until nowadays One thing that becomes the main human builds a closed and disrespectful moral message that human has been that relationship toward their environment, totalitarian, dominative and repressive and builds an egocentric relationship. toward nature. Those repressive and In other words, human is not tolerant intolerant behaviors are not only done enough toward their nature, even more, by human to other human, but also they create repressive and dominative, toward their own ecosystem. There are ignores their ecological responsibility, many misunderstandings which are and does not build an ecosystem conducted by humans in treating the balance. nature not only as conquered “others”, but also as “economic object” which IV. New Holistic Ethics: What We is exploited. Ecological crisis has been Get from Virtue Ethics the proof of repression consequence Facing the environmental crisis, and that ecological violence is a deep the observers do not only discuss about conflict between human and their the important meaning of ecological environment, and perhaps is also with oriented policy, but also the need of God as their creator because He created ethics to change the human mindset this beautiful nature at first but it turns toward their environment. Tolerance as to be “unhabitable earth” on the human ethical value also should be interpreted 37 Ecological Virtue: Articulating Tolerance as a Mutual-Respect Between Human Being and Environment not only as the religious-centric value, important meaning of “nobleness” but should also have an eco-centric and builds not only a tolerant political value. There are too many ecological community, but also a harmonious intolerance that we see and we cannot ecological community. ignore it. We need a democratic Appreciating and loving the nature relationship not only with human, and the environment where we live in but also with our environment, where are a noble attitude. In other side, we right and responsibility protecting should criticize the society personality relationship among members are who is still trapped on “dishonesty” and preserved well. a downgraded morality. The behaviors Virtue ethics is always understood like “indifference”, apathetic, feeling as an ethic which emphasizes on “self” unguilty, which generates a negative or character construction. But, what excess for environment, is the part of kind of character that we need now to downgraded morality which cannot be support the eco-centric insight? In my accepted in moral perspective opinion, the character that we need is a tolerant character in a more holistic V. Tolerance and an Ecological understanding. Virtue I prefer to use te the perspective of It is true that we need a new vision virtue ethics to explain the ecological about environmental ethics which is virtues and wisdom. Ethical virtue more holistic which has an appreciative bases its theoretical framework on the value toward nature and environment, role of the “self” and the individual but in other side we need to show a pure and his character both internal and zero-tolerant attitude toward ecological external, being good person and good crime because it makes the earth more community. This paper summarizes destructive. The sources of thought for three ethical topics that are intertwined us to be wiser in treating the nature with one another.[3] comes from many actors. In