Abstract

In light of the environmental pressure humans are currently placing on the biosphere, there is overwhelming evidence to think that we have entered the early stages of a major extinction event. Indeed, some scientists worry this extinction event will be so bad as to constitute Earth’s sixth mass extinction. Our most pressing responsibility as a species is to do everything in our power to prevent such an extinction from occurring. But the question I wish to pursue here is, what should our philosophical response be if we fail? Drawing on George Harris’ account of tragic loss, I argue that, while we should rightly consider an anthropogenic extinction a moral tragedy and cause for grief, we should not consider it cause for despair. The reason is that we can take aesthetic consolation from the knowledge that life will almost certainly recover and re-diversify in new and unpredictable ways. Adam Smith’s insights into the beauty and sublimity of systems is particularly relevant in showing how Earth’s biosphere remains a bearer of aesthetic value, even in the face of the (temporary, though long-term) damage we are causing it.

摘要

鉴于人类目前对生物圈施加的环境压力，有压倒性的证据表明我们已经进入了大灭绝事件的早期阶段。事实上，一些科学家担心这次灭绝事件会严重到造成地球第六次大灭绝。作为一个物种，我们最紧迫的责任是尽我们所能防止这种灭绝的发生。但我想在这里追问的问题是，如果我们失败了，我们的哲学回应应该是什么？借鉴乔治哈里斯对悲剧性损失的描述，我认为，虽然我们应该正确地将人为灭绝视为道德悲剧和悲伤的原因，但我们不应将其视为绝望的原因。原因是我们可以从生活几乎肯定会以新的和不可预测的方式恢复和重新多样化的知识中获得美学上的安慰。亚当·斯密对系统之美和崇高的洞察力与展示地球生物圈如何保持美学价值的载体特别相关，即使面对我们造成的（暂时的，但长期的）损害也是如此。