An EcoPsychological Perspective On Ethics
Making Alignments Ethically
This Substack is about what ecological psychology can tell us about ethics. As it turns out, that will be a lot. Very important insights follow.
By looking at whole ecosystems, which include you and your home, and specifically, by understanding the emotions, feelings and associations involved in issues, by looking at who is involved and who is affected, by looking at when these affects occur and where, we come to numerous very important ideas that are way more intriguing than they first appear to be, such as: 1) matter and meaning cannot be separated; 2) intra-actions are agentive (ecoPsyche lingo for deeds come from within the doer of the action); 3) Earth’s systems matter; 4) our whole planet is agential (has a perceptive interiority that can express power); 5) all life forms matter; 6) Earth’s processes matter; 7) agential movements—perceptive powers— surround us; 8) all beings are obliged to relate; 9) vital inner world entanglements and inner world dependencies of life on Earth are destroyed by narratives of human supremacism, exceptionalism, and individualism; 10) an understanding of ethics requires a non-centric pluralistic perspective; and 11) all environments have both ecological and psychological aspects.
To be ethical, one has to 1) possess non-maleficence (willingness and ability to be responsible and do no harm) 2) practice noninterference (especially no endangerment), interfere with harmful thoughts, actions, approaches, and imagination; 3) not be deceitful, 4) go beyond reconciliation and restoration to regeneration of nature; and 5) understand and follow the five so-called Sympoietic (creating mutually benefical relationships) Principles of Ethical Alignment-Making.
The Principle of Sufficiency—calling for humans to not waste or hoard resources;
The Principle of Empathy and Compassion—calling for humans to support the flourishing and agency (ability to exert influence) of all lifeforms;
The Principle of Solidarity—calling for humans to consider how we relate to others as co-participants in our community;
The Principle of Participation—calling for humans to take precautions, consider all, maintain transparency, and recognize that all others have a right to have a say or representation in a proposed process;
The Principle of Aesthetics—calling for humans to communicate openly, value difference, be informed, be educated, be thoughtful, be sensitive, be respectful, and be careful.
In these matters I am not talking about right and wrong or good and bad, or moral and immoral but I am speaking of alignment or nonalignment with these principles. No “should,” Sherlock; no “green-washing; and no “must”erbation. Keep your agency (self power or influence), and help others do the same.
