Chapter Four
INTEGRAL ECOLOGY
(Environmental, economic and social ecology; Cultural ecology; Ecology of daily life; The principle of the common good; Justice between the generations).
The heart of what the Encyclical proposes is integral ecology as a new paradigm of justice; an ecology “which respects our unique place as human beings in this world and our relationship to our surroundings.” In fact, “nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live.” This is true as we are involved in various fields: in economy and politics, in different cultures particularly in those most threatened, and even in every moment of our daily lives.
The integral perspective also brings the ecology of institutions into play: “if everything is related, then the health of a society’s institutions affects the environment and the quality of human life.” “Every violation of solidarity and civic friendship harms the environment.”
With many concrete examples, Pope Francis confirm his thinking that “the analysis of environmental problems cannot be separated from the analysis of human, family, work-related and urban contexts, and of how individuals relate to themselves.” “We are not faced with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.”
“Human ecology is inseparable from the notion of the common good,” but is to be understood in a concrete way. In today’s context, in which, “injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable,” committing oneself to the common good means to make choices in solidarity based on “a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters.” This is also the best way to leave a sustainable world for future generations, not just by proclaiming, but by committing to care for the poor of today, as already emphasized by Benedict XVI: “In addition to a fairer sense of inter-generational solidarity there is also an urgent moral need for a renewed sense of intra-generational solidarity.”
Integral ecology also involves everyday life. The Encyclical gives specific attention to the urban environment. The human being has a great capacity for adaptation and “an admirable creativity and generosity is shown by persons and groups who respond to environmental limitations by alleviating the adverse effects of their surroundings and learning to live productively amid disorder and uncertainty.” Nevertheless, authentic development presupposes an integral improvement in the quality of human life: public space, housing, transport, etc.
Also “the acceptance of our bodies as God’s gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home, whereas thinking that we enjoy absolute power over our own bodies turns, often subtly, into thinking that we enjoy absolute power over creation.”
Laudato si’ : A Study Guide and Summary
Chapter One: WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR COMMON HOME
Chapter Two: THE GOSPEL OF CREATION
Chapter Three: THE HUMAN ROOTS OF THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS
Chapter Four: INTEGRAL ECOLOGY
Chapter Five: LINES OF APPROACH AND ACTION