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Philosophy of environment is a trend of free thought located between Philosophy , Epistemology , and Anthropology . It gathers various schools such as humanist ecology, philosophy of evolution, and environmental humanism. It is also meant to be a cultural trend having an influence in the society. ENVIRONMENT AND EVOLUTION The philosophical current indicated under the name philosophy of evolution develops since 1970s by humanist ecology (called also environmental or evolutive humanism) and by the neo-darwinian school. Its purpose is the long-term evolution of the complex living being in its universal environment, analysed through its human cultural expression. This trend is distinct of the quasi religious evolutionist humanism advocated by Julian Huxley, notably during the founder congress of the IHEU (international humanist and ethical union) in 1952. Farther than the basic scientific theory of evolution (notably neo- Darwinian , developed by Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould ) evolutive humanism wonders about the necessity for the Man of a permanent adaptation of both his organism and his thought to develop in his universal Environment . And from there, on the relativized relation to belief and to uncertainty, because human ideas evolve and are transformed, as for physical qualities, in a universal process of Evolution and adaptive improvement in the environment. But this does not presuppose Determinism , genetic or cultural, it refers to the evolutive interactivity and reactivity, partly random, of the living being with his surroundings. According to the formula of Marc Carl "Man must necessarily learn to manage the insufficient appearance and the uncertainty of information to fit and to develop, in his relational interactions with his environment, as well physically as culturally". In a universal environment still unknown up to more or less 90 %, this evolutive cogitation tries therefore to be not locked in premature schemata and answers. It encourages with humility in the proposals, and with intuitive boldness in the investigations. While following this thread, appears a subjacent humanist thought which encourages human being to take deliberately his destiny in his hands, in careful correlation with his environment, knowing that human thought is one of the most impacting manifestations of the living being, as agent of transformation of the environment, and consequently not only of the Earth environment. In terms of philosophy of evolution, the organized collective thought of the humanity, and more in general his evolutive culture, appears as the key of the development of our Species in its universal environment, and the key of a possibly significant interactive modification, in long term, of this environment. It is principally a prospective step. This cultural trend seems to have emerged because the concept of progressive permanent adaptation, which is no longer able to be appreciated by its only scientific aspects, also took a metaphysical dimension (in a sense of research of the human being essence), which encourages consequently to analyse the human evolution, clever agent potentially modifier of environment, in philosophical terms. The whole possible and the risks of this evolution, non-deterministic because of its inscription in a dynamic complex living system, gives the human existence and destiny a new sense. And the simple fact to get involved in such a cogitation opens a philosophical way in which curious minds could not miss advancing sooner or later, a way which rests on a regenerated Metaphysics , encouraging to take back in an evolutive way the original concept of Aristoteles on the physis and its substance to search with modern conceptual tools the essence and the sense of our life. HUMANIST ECOLOGY (ENVIRONMENTAL HUMANISM) Supported on the philosophy of evolution, this international emerging current expresses since 1970s an evolutive humanism extending the naturalist tradition of the ancient Greek philosophers. Humanist ecology encourages to understand better and to situate the place and the destiny of the humanity in its environment in permanent evolution. Human destiny is put in perspective in a universal context where many things remain to be understood. Because it encourages every human being in a self-responsibilisation in front of his conscience, humanist ecology can be defined too as a will of ethical responsibility of the civilized humanity, favouring its permanent improvement and its happiness, in useful interaction with its evolutive environment, in a beneficial way as much for the human being particularly as for the mankind in general, in common symbiosis in their local and global biotope in evolution. That leads to optimize the human society in its own interactions and in its interactions with its biotope, notably by preserving the planetary equilibrium of the Earth. This necessary solidarity of the whole mankind to preserve its environment and its best development in this environment, inspired a particular political expression of humanist ecology, taken up notably by Statemen such as Jacques Chirac (France) or Mohammed VI (Morocco) in the main meetings of the UNO. EVOLUTION AND ITS RELATIVISATION Humanist ecology wants to favour the permanent adaptation and the best possible development of the humanity, and of the human being, in an uncertain universal environment in permanent evolution, with a mind opened enough to consider all the possibles. In humanist ecological comprehension, it is vain to want to freeze in arbitrary cultural schemata and choices the apparent equilibrium and the supposed future of one moment of evolution. A permanent evolutive adaptation is necessary, as much biologically as for thought. That requires a big relativity and a big caution in the analysis. According to this conception, for human mind, any representation belongs to the domain of belief, considering the uncertainty of the relation of the Man to the universe, and of the natural imperfection of his senses to represent his environment and his interactions with this environment, the reality perceived by the Man being only one representation of the reality, particular in mankind. Humanist ecology admits this relativized relation with the Belief but refutes any final and locking form, reductionist, knowing that no truth can be final for human mind without upsetting its natural evolutive necessity. This school of thought accepts the fact to believe in the present for want of anything better, but by taking care to verify and to update permanently what is believed. BIBLIOGRAPHY
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