Hösle's Magnifier: Modelling the Ecological Future of Human Society

Abstract

Vittorio Hösle faced a population of Moscow students, contemporaries of the USSR collapse in 1990. He was expected to discuss the process of designing and achieving environmental sustainability, not only within the immediate socio-political context of his audience, but also within the context of a global reshaping of existing development patterns. In the paper Hösle's template of understanding and proposing solutions for the ecological crisis is transposed into a broader historical and social context and continuity, especially one that chronologically followed after his Moscow lectures. The purpose of this article is to assess and evaluate the quality and relevance of Hösle's template considering the realistic circumstances of social development and the application of environment protection principles. The selected framework is developed through the following thematic options: historical and social conditioning of ecological crisis; ethical framework of society affected by ecological crisis; conditioning system of economy and ecology in society affected by ecological crisis; and political circumstances and consequences of ecological crisis. The goal is to follow and analyze what has happened "after Hösle's 'Philosophy of Ecological Crisis'" and whether this is consistent with his reasoning. The conclusion is that Hösle's template is confirmed as fully applicable, credible and relevant.