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Ecohumanism: Environmentalism & Humanism

If humanism is principally concerned with the interests and values of
humanity, does this mean that the environment and the interests of
other species necessarily take a second-order status, if any status at
all? Some have certainly reached that conclusion, and not without
some justification. Nevertheless, there are even better reasons to ar-
gue that humanism and environmentalism should be able to maintain
a close and productive partnership.

Title: Ecohumanism: Volume 15 of Humanism Today
Author: edited by Robert B. Tapp
Publisher: Prometheus Books

• Explores a facet of humanism too rarely discussed
• Provides balance against inclinations to focus on immediate needs over long-term
needs
• Comparison of goals of humanism and ecology
• Investigates whether and how humanism and environmentalism are compatible
• Argues that humanism must avoid overly biased self-interest

Book Review

In volume 15 of Humanism Today, editor Robert B. Tapp has brought together a vari-
ety of essays addressing the relationship between humanism and environmentalism.
Some readers may be put off by the title, Ecohumanism, because the prefix “eco-”
can seem overused in society. We hear about eco-this and eco-that, always under
the assumption that the mere presence of those three letters signifies the promise of
a positive experience.
Arguable though the overuse may be, the prefix does denote a very important con-
cept. It is taken from the Greek root oikos, meaning household or dwelling, and
points to the presence of some space which, while perhaps not sacred, is where we
make our home.

A home is more than a place where you sleep or the space you happen to occupy
at any given moment. A space we designate as our home or household is thus ac-
corded special significance in relation to the manner in which we live and in which
we want to live. Our home, whatever it might be, is a part of who we are.

Here, then, lies the crucial intersection between humanism and ecology or environ-
mentalism. If humanism really is to focus upon the needs, interests, and values of hu-
man beings, then it cannot ignore the importance of where human beings dwell and
the spaces they call their homes. Humanism without ecology must become narrow
and ultimately ineffective; thus, it may be that only humanism with close relations to
environmental movements and efforts is worthy of the name. As Philip J. Regal writes:

“”Ecohumanism” implies insight into patterns of connectedness among indi-
viduals and between individuals and institutions and with the non-human envi-
ronment. ...The humanist commitment to the ethical and material quality of
the human condition means that the earth must be regarded as home and
habitat. People’s lives should not be passed off as merely stepping stones to
salvation in some eternal beyond.”