以生命的独特性与稀缺性修正泰勒的生命中心主义

以泰勒为代表的生命中心主义作为当代环境哲学的重要理论之一,从所有生命都具有自身善的事实结合“以生命为中心的世界观”的规范性论断对所有生命都应受到道德关怀进行了严密论证,并据此提出了四条人类应当履行的道德原则。泰勒的论证是有说服力的,但由于其侧重于生命个体,缺乏对生命整体的观察维度,忽视了某些对于生命来说具有重要意义的事实,使得其所推论出的规范性道德原则存在严重问题。其中的“不干涉原则”使得生命之间没有互相帮助的义务,人类不能介入那些能够毁灭生命的环境灾难以协助生命完成其自我保存的目的;而“不伤害原则”也几乎否定了人类所有的可能损毁生命的实践活动。面对这些问题,本文的解决思路如下:首先,从阐发泰勒的“拥有自身善的实体”的概念出发,分析生命具有目的这种独特性,并指出了生命所具有的三种目的,即自我保存的目的、作为实现自我保存目的的手段性目的、独立于自我保存的目的;其次,提出由于难以生产、分布范围极小、存在的偶然性而导致的生命的稀缺性,以及在诸多环境灾难面前表现出的脆弱性,推论出生命之间应当具有的积极责任;最后,论证了这种积极责任的必要性和可行性,认为基于生命的稀缺性和脆弱性,这种义务是紧迫的和必要的,而在履行这一义务的同时,人类将获得可能损毁其他生命的实践活动的正当性,并且由于这种正当性能够使人类产生按照积极责任而行的心理动机而使这种积极义务具有了可行性。由此,泰勒的生命中心论所面对的两个问题得以解决,对之的修正也由于提出的积极义务具有必要性和可行性而得以完成。

Amendments to Taylor s Biocentrism with Uniqueness and Scarcity of Life

Biocentrism,represented by Paul Taylor,is one of the most important theories of contemporary environmental philosophy.From the fact that all living beings have their own goodnesses,combined with the normative conclusion of "biocentric outlook",it is proved that all living beings should be morally treated and four moral principles that human beings should fulfill are put forward accordingly.The argument is convincing,but there are some problems with the inferred normative moral principles because it focuses on individuals of living beings instead of those as a whole and thus ignores some important facts of living beings.The"noninterference principle"denies the living beings’ obligation of helping among others,according to which human beings cannot intervene in environmental disasters that can destroy lives to assist humna beings to accomplish the self-preservation purpose,and the "nonmaleficence principle" almost negates all human practices that may harm lives.This paper puts forward solutions to the problems as follows: first,beginning from the analysis of Taylor’s concept of "entity having its own goodness",this paper analyzes the uniqueness of the purpose of life,and points out three purposes of life: the purpose of self-preservation,the purpose as a means to achieve self-preservation,and the purpose independent of self-preservation.Secondly,it puts forward that the positive duty for each other should exist among living beings due to the scarcity of life as a result of difficulty in production,the extremely small distribution range,the existence of contingency and the fragility in the face of many environmental disasters.Finally,the paper justifies the necessity and feasibility of the positive duty.The obligation is urgent and necessary because of the scarcity and fragility of life.While fulfilling this obligation,human will obtain the legitimacy of practice which may do harm to other living beings.That kind of legitimacy enables human to have a psychological motivation to act on the positive duty and make the positive duty feasible.Thus,the two problems with Taylor’s biocentrism are solved and the amendments to it have been made possible by the feasibility and necessity of the positive duty proposed.