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Bhakti as environmental ethic: assessing the religious Vedic tradition of bhakti-yoga as a potential environmental ethic
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613802413948928 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Wolfenden, Jurgen Vaugn |
| author2 | Du Toit, Louise |
| author_browse | Du Toit, Louise Wolfenden, Jurgen Vaugn |
| author_facet | Du Toit, Louise Wolfenden, Jurgen Vaugn |
| author_sort | Wolfenden, Jurgen Vaugn |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127039 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:56.100Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127039 Bhakti as environmental ethic: assessing the religious Vedic tradition of bhakti-yoga as a potential environmental ethic Wolfenden, Jurgen Vaugn Du Toit, Louise Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. Applied Ethics. Bhakti, eco-theology, prema-culture religious environmetnal ethics, relational ethics, Veda, sacrifice,sin Bhakti Environmental ethics Vedic philology Spiritual life -- Hinduism Bhakti-yoga UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research project critically assesses the contributions that religious ethical traditions may offer towards solving the global environmental crisis. Historically, religious worldviews had been at the forefront of describing and prescribing humanity’s ideal ethical relationship with the natural world. With the rise of secular worldviews and philosophies, humanity has drifted away from such prescriptions, and has for the last few centuries been guided by anthropocentric worldviews in relation to nature. The 1960s saw a rising awareness of the role religious worldviews play in environmental issues and has been subsequently dubbed the “dawn of religious environmentalism” (Taylor, 2005). From that time on, environmental ethicists have worked to assess and analyse the extent to which religious ethics may be useful in mitigating the current catastrophic environmental situation. My study contributes to that wave of religious awareness in environmental ethics, by specifically assessing the ethical aspects inherent in the theological traditions of the Vedas. The spiritual culture of Bhakti in particular, holds what some eco-theologians consider the formula for ethical and equitable relations between humanity and the natural environment. Bhakti as the practice of loving devotional relations between all conscious living beings is described in Vedic theology as the prerequisite for harmonious relationships on earth. This understanding requires at least the acceptance or belief in an original source or conscious entity, referred to generally as God, who embodies the relational potential of all beings to each other and towards God. My study questions whether the acceptance of God as the original source of conscious existence forms the sufficient and necessary condition for ethical relations between conscious beings; and if the denial of such a conception of an original source has any causal relation with the environmental crises the world faces. I follow the assertion made by Lynn White (1967), that if our environmental troubles are understood to have their roots in the misinterpretations of certain theological worldviews, then the solution necessarily requires a theological reappraisal of the value of all life on earth. Making use of the Vedic Bhakti tradition, this study will show that the ancient tradition contains theological evidence to support the claim that environmental calamity is as a result of a mistake or ‘sin’ viewed in religious dimension. From consideration of this theological tradition, I conclude that it gives us an understanding of how and why humanity has either failed or is unwilling to recognise non-human nature as of equal value to human nature. Moreover, the Vedas also provide a solution to this fundamental ‘sin’ or distortion of humanity’s relation to 3 other life forms: by virtue of all of creation’s inherent relation with God, all life forms possess intrinsic value. Meaning, we all have equal value before God. I conclude by sketching out a relational environmental ethic (‘prema-culture’) based on this theological framework, which I propose might have wider appeal beyond the Bhakti tradition alone, to secularists and religious folk alike. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsprojek ondersoek op kritiese wyse die bydrae wat religieus-etiese tradisies mag maak tot die oplos van die globale omgewingskrisis. Histories het religieuse wêreldbeelde die toon aangegee rakende die beskrywing van en voorskrifte vir die mens se ideale etiese verhouding met die natuurlike wêreld. Met die opkoms van sekulêre wêreldbeelde en filosofieë is hierdie godsdienstige voorskrifte op die agtergrond geskuif en het die mensdom sig die laaste paar eeue laat lei deur antroposentriese wêreldbeelde in verhouding tot die natuur. Gedurende die 1960s was daar egter ‘n toenemende bewuswording van die rol wat godsdienstige wêreldbeelde speel in omgewingskwessies, daarom is hierdie dekade die ‘dagbreek van godsdienstige omgewingsdenke’ gedoop (Taylor, 2005). Sedertdien het omgewingsetici gewerk aan die vraagstuk tot watter mate godsdiensgebaseerde etieke nuttig mag wees in die bekamping van die huidige katastrofiese omgewingsituasie. My studie dra by tot hierdie golf van godsdienstige bewustheid in omgewingsetiek, spesifiek deur die etiese aspekte inherent aan die teologiese tradisies van die Vedas te ondersoek. Die geestelike kultuur van Bhakti in die besonder bevat wat sommige eko-teoloë beskou as die formule vir etiese en gelykwaardige verhoudings tussen mens en natuur. Bhakti as die praktyk van liefdevolle toegewyde verhoudinge tussen alle bewuste lewende wesens word in die Vediese teologie beskryf as die voorvereiste vir harmonieuse verhoudings op aarde. Om hierdie aanspraak te verstaan, moet ‘n mens minstens aanvaar dat ‘n oorspronklike bron of bewuste entiteit, genoem God, bestaan, wat die verhoudingspotensiaal van alle wesens ten opsigte van mekaar en ten opsigte van God self beliggaam. My studie vra of die aanvaarding van God as die oorspronklike bron van bewuste bestaan die noodsaaklike en voldoende voorwaarde is vir etiese verhoudings tussen bewuste wesens; en of die ontkenning van so ‘n opvatting van ‘n oorspronklike bron enige kousale verband het met die omgewingskrisisse wat die wêreld in die gesig staar. Ek volg Lynn White (1967) se aanspraak naamlik dat indien ons omgewingsprobleme gewortel is in die misinterpretasies van sekere godsdienstige wêreldbeelde, dan verg die oplossing noodwendig ‘n teologiese herwaardering van die waarde van alle lewe op aarde. Binne die Vediese Bakthi teologie moet die huidige omgewingskrisis volgens my lesing daarvan toegeskryf word aan ‘n sekere fout of ‘sonde’ wat begaan is deur die mensdom. Ek konkludeer dat hierdie teologiese tradisie ons ‘n bepaalde begrip gee van waarom en hoe die mensdom faal of onwillig is om die gelykwaardigheid van nie-menslike en menslike natuur te erken. Boonop 5 verskaf die Vedas ‘n oplossing vir hierdie fundamentele ‘sonde’ of verwringing van die mens se verhouding met ander lewensvorme: danksy die ganse skepping se inherente verhouding met God, besit alle lewensvorme intrinsieke waarde. Dit beteken ons het almal gelyke waarde voor God. Ek sluit af deur sketsmatig ‘n relasionele omgewingsetiek (‘prema-kultuur’) voor te stel gebaseer op hierdie teologiese raamwerk. Ek stel voor hierdie etiek kan wyer appeleer as die Bhakti godsdiens, ook tot ateïste en godsdienstige persone van alternatiewe godsdienstige tradisies. Masters 2023-01-25T20:21:57Z 2023-05-18T07:01:20Z 2023-01-25T20:21:57Z 2023-05-18T07:01:20Z 2022-11 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127039 en_ZA en_ZA Stellenbosch University 93 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Bhakti, eco-theology, prema-culture religious environmetnal ethics, relational ethics, Veda, sacrifice,sin Bhakti Environmental ethics Vedic philology Spiritual life -- Hinduism Bhakti-yoga UCTD Wolfenden, Jurgen Vaugn Bhakti as environmental ethic: assessing the religious Vedic tradition of bhakti-yoga as a potential environmental ethic |
| title | Bhakti as environmental ethic: assessing the religious Vedic tradition of bhakti-yoga as a potential environmental ethic |
| title_full | Bhakti as environmental ethic: assessing the religious Vedic tradition of bhakti-yoga as a potential environmental ethic |
| title_fullStr | Bhakti as environmental ethic: assessing the religious Vedic tradition of bhakti-yoga as a potential environmental ethic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bhakti as environmental ethic: assessing the religious Vedic tradition of bhakti-yoga as a potential environmental ethic |
| title_short | Bhakti as environmental ethic: assessing the religious Vedic tradition of bhakti-yoga as a potential environmental ethic |
| title_sort | bhakti as environmental ethic assessing the religious vedic tradition of bhakti yoga as a potential environmental ethic |
| topic | Bhakti, eco-theology, prema-culture religious environmetnal ethics, relational ethics, Veda, sacrifice,sin Bhakti Environmental ethics Vedic philology Spiritual life -- Hinduism Bhakti-yoga UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127039 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wolfendenjurgenvaugn bhaktiasenvironmentalethicassessingthereligiousvedictraditionofbhaktiyogaasapotentialenvironmentalethic |