Henryk Skolimowski's eco-philosophy as a project of living philosophy

Anna Małecka

Katarzyna Stark

pp. 347-355

in: William S. Smith, Jadwiga Smith, Daniela Verducci (eds), Eco-Phenomenology, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

The paper presents Henryk Skolimowski's concept of eco-philosophy understood as a "living philosophy'—i.e., a universal philosophy focusing on life and its creative evolution. Skolimowski, considering himself an heir to Teilhard de Chardin, describes the world as a unity of multifarious mutually interdependent manifestations. The world constantly creates itself, generating new aspects of life, consciousness and sensitivity. Evolution constitutes a way to self-cognition of the primordial light, and humanity participates in the evolution of this fundamental light in the process of its actualization. In their existential efforts human beings achieve the level of spirituality and divinity within their evolutionary development. For the contemporary Polish thinker, the universe possesses divine attributes, and it is in life itself that spirituality originates.Skolimowski strongly emphasizes the relation between human beings and nature. Introducing the concept of "ecological man," he claims that we have to treat the world as a sanctuary. Hence, the ethical postulate of his philosophy: we should approach life, including all people, all creation, and the entire cosmos with reverence. He also formulates an imperative of ecological responsibility for everybody and everything, as in the cosmic dimension everything is united.

Cited authors

Skolimowski Henryk