ความสัมพันธ์ทางศีลธรรมระหว่างมนุษย์กับสิ่งแวดล้อมตามแนวทางปรัชญาปฏิบัตินิยมของวิลเลียม เจมส์

Abstract

This research on moral relations between humans and environment regarding pragmatism philosophy of William James has two purposes: one, to study the metaphysical and ethical concepts in his pragmatism and two, to study the moral relations between humans and environment in his philosophy. This research is a qualitative research, mostly a documentary research, conducted by collecting information from books and writing of William James, and other relevant secondary documents. It aims to analyze the relations between humans and environment through Environmental Ethics framework and conclude its result as a descriptive research. From the study, it is found that James views existing things in this universe composed of manifold parts; all exist independently from one another, as equal, and without a domination over others. Nonetheless, these parts do not entirely exist separately from each other. All interact under the laws of nature, e.g., the gravity law, or under the time and space. These relations occur in a form of “and” or “or” only. As a result, nature of things is characterized as “union” of networks of massive relationships, derived from uniform cooperation of minor parts, resulting in diverse and uniform nature at the same time. Another characteristic of things is that it is changeable and evolving all the time. Living and non-living things which exist in the natural world relate and depend on one another under the moral relations of Holism. In Ethics, James believes that the moral consciousness is indistinguishable from human existence. Humans are the origin of all moral thoughts. If this world is without humans, what is deemed as morals is unreal. As such, James denies the absolute morality and a priori morality. Moral consciousness is conceived through social constructs or a posteriori. Criteria in addressing ethical problems are diverse, based on values and beliefs of people in a particular society. Moral criteria are thus measured by practical consequences. Should any moral criteria be able to solve potential conflicts, they would be adequate. Even though humans are capable of defining moral values by themselves, it does not entail that humans are central to the natural world. Humans, animals, and things are parts of the immense natural system and are equitable. Reasoning ability, linguistic articulation, and human culture are only consequences of evolution. They are not a justification for the superior status over other species in nature. James features existing materials in this empirical world as a part of the personal identity of humans, which reflects the inseparable connectivity of humans and things.