This is my thesis on the D-level at the university in Karlstad at the department for environmental science. It is an analysis of the idea of self-realisation in the deepecology movement.
The Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess is one of the profiles in the foreground of deepecology in the world. His teories is important for the development of how to look at ecophilosophical matters in the nordic countries.
i will therefor investigate his theories and see how Naess constructs the relation man-nature in his ecosophy T. The principle of self-realisation and identification is there the most important foundation for the antropocentric perspective.
In my analysis I use Martin Bubers philosophy of dialogue and his thoughts about relational concept of the self as tools for my investigation.
Ecophilosophy is an academic subject that touches a variety of fields of studies but has the collaboration between the subject of culture and nature as its base. Bubers concept of the self that highlights the third. Videlicet, the relation is a third aspect of the selfs constitution apart from the me and you.
I will also, as Buber does not notice power and hierarchy in his teory, try to integrate Val Plumwoods critique towards dualism in the thinking of western society as a complementing tool.
Plumwood points out, in her ecofeministic point of view, the importance of noticing difference as an important aspect of the problems in western thinking when it comes to the relationship between humanity-environment. To develop a non-dualistic thinking, according to Plumwood, it would take a critical analysis of all types of concepts that has been developed through the classic concept of logics reduktionistic discussion wich uses separation as a method.
Plumwoods conclusion is that to come to terms with the underlying powerstructures we have to examine the thinking itself.
Buber who is rooted in the jewish chassidism tradition has from a spiritual point of view examined aspects of the relationship between I and the other/world which touches Plumwoods theories.
By combining these two thinkers I want to formulate a more complex analysis of Arne Naess principle of self-realisation.
2007. , p. 58