Satish Kumar has been a significant inspiration to us for his approach to ecology and sustainable living, in particular with his book ‘You Are, therefore I Am – a Declaration of Human Dependence.’
Satish Kumar advocates small-scale, local economy and the revitalisation of communities. He holds a world view which highlights the relationships and connections between all things and people. He also set up the Small School in Devon and was Director of Programme at Schumacher College which specialises in ecological courses.
Satish Kumar on Ecology…
“MANY IN THE environmental movement are working hard to protect the planet Earth, to save the environment and conserve nature. Nevertheless, often their motivation is pragmatic, utilitarian and anthropocentric. They say, “We need to protect and manage the forests because humankind cannot survive without them.” For them, survival of the human species is the central issue. This is OK as far as it goes, but ultimately it is a selfish ecology. This kind of ecology begins with the human interest, but then moves on to a narrower interest of the privileged. People soon begin to talk about American interests, British interests or national interests. So prioritizing human interest becomes a pretext for safeguarding self-interests.
In place of such selfish ecology we need to embrace Reverential Ecology. The urgent challenge of our time is to recognize the sanctity of ALL life. When we take other life for our survival, we must do so with humility, care and restraint, rather than take it for granted. Selfish ecology leads to a separational world-view whereas Reverential Ecology is based on the relational world-view.”
