Environment and History of Indian Ethics

diverseEnvironmental ethics is considered as a branch of ethics that studies established the foundation of environmental values, the relation of people in general with its atmosphere, concrete problems around societal approaches, actions, and policies to safeguard and sustain a wide range of diversity and ecological systems. Environmental ethics believe that nature includes mankind but also thousands of different enormous living creatures such as plants and animals which are also living organisms required for a balanced ecosystem. These elements are a necessary part of the natural atmosphere as well as play a vital role in human life. Hence, it's important that each individual should respect and honor all other organisms. Furthermore, while all creatures are addressed as social imperatives, Environment ethics is mainly defined as the theory and experiential study concerning, the values and duties of its elements like us, mankind towards the biosphere.

In the classification of environmental ethics, the difference between the instrumental and intrinsic value of things has been of immense importance. The former suggests that the value of some things is more meaningful to other ends than their own good. While the other suggests that the value of some things is subject to end regardless of their usefulness to other ends. And because intrinsically valuable things are such in nature that they are good as an end in themselves, it's commonly accepted that certain things of intrinsic value in nature, are needed to be preserved by their surrounding components like us, as our moral duty suggests. [1: The varieties of Intrinsic value, J. O’Neill, page 119-137]

In the division of environmental ethics, generally, there are two views. The initial perspective is termed a humanistic (anthropocentric) worldview. They assign intrinsic worth to mankind alone or they assign a considerably larger quantity of intrinsic worth to mankind as compared to any non-human things, such as the promotion of human interests or prosperity at the expanse of non-human things seems to be nearly even most the time. For instance, Aristotle states that “Nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man and that the value of non-human things in nature is merely instrumental.” [2: ‘Politics’, Aristotle, trans. E. Barker, Chap. 8, page 56]

In India, environmental safety isn't a contemporary thought, however, has been in existence since past times. Throughout historic days mankind and the atmosphere were said to be indivisible. In past days man never had an instance to degrade the atmosphere except throughout the course of fulfilling his natural want and wishes, which were minimal and organized. Former men were fearful of the natural atmosphere and didn’t pluck up the courage to stand and contaminate it, as is the usual trend in current scenarios. Air, water, and land are mainly symbolic components of the natural environment. And if nature or its environment is tormented in excess, it damages us as well beyond repair. Henceforth, it is vital to know how to behave with various components of the environment and nature as we are codependent. The concept of ethics which guides an individual as to how to behave with the environment is known as environmental ethics. It mainly consists of principles of moral rightness or moral obligations towards the attributes of the environment, which are land, water, air, plants, and animals. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to explore the environmental ethics established since the old times and to investigate how far they are being followed by Indian environmental jurisprudence.

Hindu Environmental Ethics

The Vedas are known to be one of the primary texts in mankind related to Environmental behavior. They are globally recognized as the foremost precious Indian heritage. Since these religious times, the main motto of social life was “to live in harmony with nature”. Sages, saints, and great teachers of India used to live in forests, meditated, and expressed themselves in the form of Vedas, Upanishads, Smritis, and Dharmas. These literature writings of ancient times were followed in one form or the other in a religious attitude towards plants, trees, Earth(dharti), Sky(Akash), Air(Vayu), Water(Jal), and animals, to keep a compassionate perspective towards them. It was considered a spiritual responsibility of every individual to protect them. [3: Original of Environmental Science From Vedas, Shashi Tiwari]

The Vedic lifestyle was considered environmentally honorable. Igniting holy fire was a spiritually recognized mode of worship like lighting diyas during Sandhya. It was aimed to light this holy fire to keep the environment and its components healthy. The Yajurveda specified that the creator of the world authorized the sun and fire to be absorbed deep into the elements of our body to set apart their aqueous and somnolent characteristics. The elements of one’s body which are affected then become pure and clean and grant prosperity to men. Furthermore, it’s believed upon when butter is related to fire, the igniting flames and smoke eliminate unpleasant vibrations and smells from the atmosphere.

The Hindu community since the beginning always preserved an immense respect for nature, environmental peace, balance, and conservation. It guided man to show respect for the existence of divinity in nature. Henceforth, trees, animals more particularly cows, hills, mountains, and rivers are worshipped as a sign of honorable and symbolic components of nature.

An approach towards Hindu sacred literature works such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Smritis, Purina, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Gita which are spiritual scriptures including mythological stories, social and ethical codes and political rules commonly state that “Non- violence,” which is non-injury to both the living and non-living creations of the nature, the following were the common leading factors to be observed by all in their daily life:

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· Man, being one among the formations of God, has no exceptional privileges or dominance over other creatures, on the other hand, he has more responsibilities as well as duties to shield and enhance them.

· All lives, human and non-human in nature, including plants and trees, are of equivalent worth and all have the same privileges for existence. It shows that the concept of purity and goodness of life is clearly established in the Hindu religion.

· Ahimsa Parmo Dharma (non-violence) is the dharma of the most supreme value, an individual should be non-violent towards animals, trees, and other microorganisms in this world. Hinsa or harm towards other organisms was considered the highest sin.

· All the components, air, water, soil, mountains, trees, animals, etc. are all the formation of God and he lives in all of them. Therefore, to cherish them is to worship Him-the creator of the world.

· It’s also believed upon that God and Goddesses demonstrate their anger when we mistreat the environment through acts of disruption around us like earthquakes, heavy rainfall, volcanic eruption, flood damages, etc.

As indicated by one native hypothesis set up in Upanishads, the universe comprises five fundamental components, 1) Earth or land, 2) Water, 3) Light or shine, 4) Air, and 5) Sky. Nature has kept a status of harmony between and among these constituents or components and living animals. An unsettling influence in the level of any constituents of the environment past specific cutoff points upsets the normal equilibrium, and any disbalance in the regular equilibrium creates lots of issues for the living organisms known to mankind. Various constituents of the environment exist with set associations with each other. The connection of mankind with the environment is inherent as he can't live without it.

Numerous sections in Rigveda and Atharvaveda have been dedicated to the commendation of Lord Surya (Sun), Vayu (Ruler of Winds), Agni Devta (Divine force of Fire), Varun Devta (Lord of Water), Prithvi Mata (Mother Earth), Vanya Devi (Goddess of Forest), and so on. Henceforth, cutting off trees, and contaminating air, water, and land were viewed as sins, as components of nature were to be honored as Divine forces, next to God and Goddesses. Perseverance of their goodness and healthiness was viewed as an obligation of everybody.

Additionally, trees and plants have been viewed as essential for the existence of mankind. They have been considered honored, bestowers of good, and defenders of evil with an idea of God living in them. Trees and plants are considered the habitation of different Gods and Goddesses. This feeling of love additionally has a foundation of utility and spitefulness. The Rigveda contains a whole song about the commendation of mending properties of trees.