Eileen Crist
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780226596778
- eISBN:
- 9780226596945
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226596945.003.0011
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
The Epilogue recaps central themes of the book and urges abdicating the common refrain to "save civilization." Civilization does not need to be saved but reinvented, since the domination of nature is ...
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The Epilogue recaps central themes of the book and urges abdicating the common refrain to "save civilization." Civilization does not need to be saved but reinvented, since the domination of nature is constitutional to its very nature. The Epilogue argues that as long as the natural world is constituted as "resources" for wealth and power, social inequities will prevail. It also argues that if social justice (equal distribution of resources) were somehow achieved (at the expense of Earth's biological wealth and integrity), the very notion of "justice" would be rendered hollow. Superseding human supremacy and building an ecological civilization founded on love for Earth is the only option.Less
The Epilogue recaps central themes of the book and urges abdicating the common refrain to "save civilization." Civilization does not need to be saved but reinvented, since the domination of nature is constitutional to its very nature. The Epilogue argues that as long as the natural world is constituted as "resources" for wealth and power, social inequities will prevail. It also argues that if social justice (equal distribution of resources) were somehow achieved (at the expense of Earth's biological wealth and integrity), the very notion of "justice" would be rendered hollow. Superseding human supremacy and building an ecological civilization founded on love for Earth is the only option.
Nicolas Bommarito
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- June 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190887506
- eISBN:
- 9780190092559
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190887506.003.0012
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter examines karma. Karma, most literally, means action. Initially, it meant very specific ritual actions to bring about certain results. Later, the meaning of the term expanded and started ...
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This chapter examines karma. Karma, most literally, means action. Initially, it meant very specific ritual actions to bring about certain results. Later, the meaning of the term expanded and started to refer to all actions. Not only that, it is also used to refer to the effects of an individual’s actions and the connections between their actions and those effects. Given this basic idea of karma, it is important to highlight what it is not. People sometimes talk about the “law of karma.” People think of laws as having a lawmaker and an enforcer. However, karma is not like that—there is nobody writing the law and making sure it is enforced. In this sense, it is more like the law of gravity—it is a regularity in the way the world is; nobody has to write or enforce it. Moreover, karma is not some form of cosmic justice; it need not be about deserving the effects. Karma is not fate as well. The Buddha is clear that not all events are determined by karma.Less
This chapter examines karma. Karma, most literally, means action. Initially, it meant very specific ritual actions to bring about certain results. Later, the meaning of the term expanded and started to refer to all actions. Not only that, it is also used to refer to the effects of an individual’s actions and the connections between their actions and those effects. Given this basic idea of karma, it is important to highlight what it is not. People sometimes talk about the “law of karma.” People think of laws as having a lawmaker and an enforcer. However, karma is not like that—there is nobody writing the law and making sure it is enforced. In this sense, it is more like the law of gravity—it is a regularity in the way the world is; nobody has to write or enforce it. Moreover, karma is not some form of cosmic justice; it need not be about deserving the effects. Karma is not fate as well. The Buddha is clear that not all events are determined by karma.
