Deep Ecology; a Movement against the Human/Nature Dichotomy and Its Critique: A Theological Approach

Since the dichotomy of humans/nature paves the way for human beings' supremacy to treat nature as they desire, this dichotomy has obtained a primary role in environmental ethics. Discerning the entanglement of human beings and nature, the deep ecology movement by criticizing this dichotomy, provided some useful results for environmental ethics, worth to mention the uprising against the humans' aggressive dominance in culture and civilization in Western countries, true humane self-realization through self-transcendence, and the consideration of the rehabilitation of missing rights of nonhuman beings. Despite these valuable points, this movement has some deficiencies which can be cured by the reformation of its ideas through a religious-theological perspective. Having no coherence philosophy that results in vague and general claims about ecological issues, the absence of a comprehensive program as a ground for a specific life hierarchy, neglecting the high status of humanity, and its ineffectiveness in undeveloped countries are among the deficiencies of this movement. This article explains these issues analytically.