The convergence of the directions of natural-science and social-humanitarian knowledge-6

Cognitive-psychological barrier and its overcoming in ecological culture

The formation of the ecological culture of the population is recognized today as one of the priority areas of Russia's national environmental policy. To create the scientific basis for this activity, it is necessary to develop a system that includes complementary to each other natural-scientific, philosophical, sociological, psychological and pedagogical concepts. It is already possible to talk about the intensive development of the humanitarian component of such a system: the "new ecological paradigm" in philosophy, as well as a number of concepts of research and the formation of ecological consciousness in sociology, psychology and pedagogy.

The concept of environmental health, which proclaims the need not so much for the quantitative analysis of species diversity, as for the analysis of the state and the "quality of life" of all species inhabiting the territory (including Homo sapiens), is precisely the methodological basis that can ensure an effective natural scientific component of the system of formation of ecological culture.

For the humanitarian analysis of the concept of health of the environment, it is necessary to compare its main positions with the provisions of the "new ecological paradigm", as well as the basic characteristics of the ecocentric (as an alternative to anthropocentric) ecological consciousness.

The "new ecological paradigm", as a philosophical basis for the relationship of mankind with the environment, is characterized by certain views.

When in the late 1970's. the ecological situation in the world began to worsen, in the public mind there was a conviction that the primary causes of environmental problems were the exponential growth of the human population, a characteristic combination of high rates of industrialization and consumption, and economic growth as a whole. It was proved that man-made modern technologies eventually turned against their creator. To prevent the emergence and growth of environmental problems, the developing countries had only to abandon the high rates of industrialization and technological development, and the industrialized countries were ordered to "freeze" the rate of economic growth at the level already achieved.

However, with the appearance of representatives of the so-called "new ecological thinking" it became obvious that the ecological crisis, in the state of which our planet is now, is a consequence of the crisis of consciousness.

To be continued