Articles

Abstract:

The question is how to bring movement into the old way of thinking, into that mechanistic worldview underlying the overexploitation of nature. My claim is that a worldview cannot be transformed simply by understanding the penury of the old and by proclaiming another, better (= more inclusive, more respectful etc.) one. We rather have to understand the practical processes constructing a worldview, i.e. the processes that model the things the way we are seeing them all the time. Perception (in a full sense) and interpretation are actions taking place within relationships and are therefore normatively shaped. This leads to an inversion of perspective: Not a metaphysical theory is underlying our practical attitudes to nature but metaphysics itself has its roots in a practical framework. What we can learn is to regain sense in discovering a fuller praxis.