Aesthetic and Moral Appreciation of Nature in Philosophical Traditions of China - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 46

4.4 Chinese Nature Aesthetics and Its Contribution

to Biocultural Ethic

Ricardo Rozzi ( 2013 , p. 10) has proposed a biocultural ethic that highlights that
“many cultures - including, Buddhist, and some Western philosophical traditions -
have ecological worldviews that recognize humans, plants, waters, and other beings
as co-inhabitants.” Furthermore, he stresses that:

A biocultural ethic demands an inter-cultural dialogue. The global environmental change
we face today is caused by particular agents (social groups, corporations, individuals),
not by the species, Homo sapiens , in general. Unsustainable practices that are detrimental
to the life of other human and other-than-human beings need to be sanctioned and/or
remedied. Complementarily, in the context of global socio-environmental change, the
worldviews, forms of knowledge, values, and ecological practices of cultures that are
sustainable should be respected, and eventually adopted through intercultural exchanges.
(Rozzi 2013 , p. 10)
My brief analysis of the aesthetic appreciation of nature based on the philosophi-
cal traditions of Confucianism and Daoism aims to contribute to the two points
highlighted by biocultural ethics: an inter-cultural dialogue, and the consideration
of worldviews, forms of knowledge, values, and ecological practices of cultures that
cultivate sustainable ways of life. Regarding the fi rst point, my analysis helps to
better understand the diffi culties of inter-cultural dialogue and of translation among
philosophical traditions; even among Chinese philosophies. The understanding
about intercultural translation raises a note of caution regarding statements that have
been used by the ESA's Earth Stewardship Initiative to affi rm that “the concept of
stewardship is familiar to the general public and has essentially the same meaning
in lay terms as we intend in its scientifi c usage” (Chapin et al. 2011 , p. 45).
Stewardship can acquire different meanings in different Western and non-Western
cultures (see May Jr, Chap. 7 in this volume). In my analysis the complementary
Daoist and Confucianist focuses on sincerity nd emptiness regarding the notion of
ch'i show the value of diversity of meanings, at the same time that the requisite of
precision in the use of terms, for a genuine inter-cultural dialogue and an effective
implementation of Earth Stewardship initiative.
Regarding the second point the consideration of the diversity of worldviews,
values, and sustainable ecological practices of heterogeneous cultures, my analysis
of the Chinese philosophical traditions of Confucianism and Daoism concurs with
analyses conducted in South America that highlight the fundamental need to incor-
porate non-economic values, including spiritual and ethical values, into an Earth
Stewardship initiative (Rozzi et al. 2012 , p. 233). As mentioned earlier in this chap-
ter, the concept of ch'i involves aesthetic, spiritual, and ethical values. To implement
an intercultural Earth Stewardship initiative, Chinese philosophical traditions offer
words such shen , notions of emptiness and empathy, and practices such as intellec-
tual intuition that contribute to make steps toward a planetary partnership in this
valuable initiative for the sustainable life in our shared planet.