Original scientific paper
“Upward Levelling” of Plants – Early Greek Perspective
Željko Kaluđerović
; Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
Abstract
In this paper the author considers scientific and bioethical requirements triggered by existing environmental, and not just environmental issues, that it is necessary to regulate differently the
relationship between humans and other living beings. Attempts are being made to establish a new relationship by relativizing the differences between the man and non-human living beings,
often by attributing specifically human traits and categories, such as dignity, moral status and rights to non-human living beings, but also, especially in regards to plants, the ability of sight, feeling, memory, communication, consciousness, and thinking. In the process of levelling of these differences, presented are the findings of researches showing that plants have extremely sensitive
and complex sensory mechanisms, that they lead complex, dynamic and eventful lives, react to signals from other plants, i.e. there is interaction between them, and have a short-term and longterm
memory. Regarding the “consciousness” of plants, it is concluded that it is in an analogical connection with the human consciousness. The author then analyzes whether these findings are new, surprising and revolutionary, as commonly asserted, or whether their anticipation can be already found in some Presocratics, philosophically based on the similarity of all the varieties of life. Pythagoras, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, and Democritus, in this context, were of
the opinion that the plants are driven by natural yearning, that they breathe, feel joy and sorrow, that they have a soul, discernment, consciousness, ability to think, reason, and mind. Eventually, the author illuminates the limits of non-anthropocentric approaches, i.e. their non-reflected establishment of the very anthropocentrism, the difficulty of relocating the man from the centre of the world while he himself does not remain the patron of that same world.
Keywords
anthropocentrism; non-anthropocentrism; humans; animals; plants; sensibility; memory; communication; consciousness; thinking; understanding; reason
Hrčak ID:
153727
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2015.
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