Action and environment. For a sustainable relationship.

Abstract

In Western societies, individual action and the human relationship with nature have often been conceived as parallel phenomena, lacking substantive connection. Such a perspective, however, neglects the inherent responsibility of human action and its inevitable repercussions on the natural environment. In contrast, an alternative approach—grounded in the pursuit of a sustainable relationship—assigns intrinsic value to Nature, understood as an end in itself (Naess 1995), rather than as a mere instrument or commodity (Sandler 2018, 45). Within this framework, human action and the relationship with Nature become matters of moral significance (Mannucci 2008). The thesis of this study is that sustainable action requires a form of conscious praxis that acknowledges the human being as part of a larger whole within which coexistence unfolds. First, we will examine the relation between human action and the need for a responsible and sustainable education with regard to Nature, showing how this relationship not only completes but also enriches human existence. Second, we will consider human action as a praxis which, if properly cultivated, can engender sustainable habits and relational forms, directed both toward other human beings and toward the inhabited environment. This in turn underscores the necessity of a formation oriented toward an integral ecological ethos. Finally, we will advance a relational ethical-anthropological perspective that seeks to transcend the limits of anthropocentrism in favor of a comprehensive and sustainable vision of human development, grounded in the dynamic interrelation of humanity, environment, and Nature.