Tenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

This paper is a philosophical description of environmentalism in Islam. The author uses an expansionist model approach to ecology that emphasizes the central role of moral subjects and uses the perspective of virtue ethics to explain ecological virtues in Islam. Ethical virtue bases its theoretical framework on the role of “self” of the individual and his character. This paper summarizes three ethical topics that are intertwined one another. The first point answers the question of how is the fundamental relationship between the individual and nature and explains the eco-communal conception of the ummah which contains ecological responsibility in it. This description basically strengthens ecocentrism and is a criticism of anthropocentric and mechanical views of nature. The second point, more specifically, finds Islamic justification of tolerance to support and reinforce ecological virtues that are pro-ecocentrism with ecological subjectification of tolerance. The author argues that in human authoritative relations to nature, “tolerance as respect” is needed in an ecological sense: mutual respect between two subjects. Tolerance as political sense and individual policy towards social community is often discussed, but in the cosmological sense of the ecological community has not received the proper portion of the discussion. Tolerance is closely related to individual awareness to abandon ego and be wiser and respectful towards ‘the other’, his sacred environment. The third point explains, still consistent with virtue ethics, the need for strengthening ecoliteracy through the strategy of model and figure (keteladanan) starting from a domestic environment to the wider public community.