Evaluation of John B. Cobb, Jr.’s Ecological Model, With the Focus on Its Workability in the Context of Bangladesh

• Authors: Md. Abu Sayem

Title variants

PL

Ocena ekologicznego modelu Johna B. Cobba Jr., pod względem jego stosowalności w warunkach Bangladeszu

Abstracts

PL

„Model ekologiczny” autorstwa Johna B. Cobba Jr. wydaje się być aktualnym i potrzebnym podejściem do przezwyciężania obecnego kryzysu ekologicznego. Analizując „ekologiczny model” życia i rozwoju Cobba, podjęto w niniejszym artykule próbę zbadania, na ile zastosowanie tego modelu w warunkach Bangladeszu przyczyni się do ograniczenia tamtejszych problemów środowiskowych. Niniejsze opracowanie opiera się na metodach przeglądu literatury i analizy interpretacyjnej. Przedstawione tu dane są efektem analizy ekoteologicznych publikacji Cobba. Opracowanie to bada przydatność zaproponowanego przez niego modelu ekologicznego w kontekście Bangladeszu i krytycznie analizuje ten model, porównując perspektywy społeczno-religijne, polityczne i gospodarcze Bangladeszu. Artykuł podejmuje próbę oceny, w jakim stopniu propozycje Cobba mogą być wdrożone, a w jakim powinny być zmodyfikowane, by nie okazały się niespójne. Ponieważ opracowanie łączy eko-teologiczne ujęcie Cobba z aktualnymi problemami środowiskowymi Bangladeszu, jego głównym rezultatem będzie oddolne motywowanie mieszkańców Bangladeszu do utrzymania równowagi ekologicznej poprzez odejście od mechanistycznego i materialistycznego stosunku do środowiska. Opracowanie to wskaże ponadto na rolę religii we wdrażaniu zrównoważonego rozwoju w Bangladeszu.

EN

The “ecological model” of John B. Cobb, Jr. seems a timely and needed approach to address our present ecological crisis. Keeping Cobb’s “ecological model” of life and development in hand, the present paper attempts to examine why this model seems significant especially for Bangladeshi people and how it can be applied in Bangladesh to reduce the environmental issues. In terms of methodology, it follows the methods of literature review and interpretive analysis. The required data is collected by primarily reviewing Cobb’s eco-theological works and then is used in the paper after analysis. Similarly, it investigates the applicability of his proposed ecological model in the context of Bangladesh and critically analyses the model by comparing socio-religious, political, and economic perspectives of Bangladesh. The study evaluates to what extent Cobb’s suggestion may be implemented and to what degree it should be modified, proved to be inconsistent or rejected. As the project connects Cobb’s eco-theological understanding with the present environmental problems of Bangladesh, its prime result will be motivating Bangladeshi people from grassroots levels to maintain ecological equilibrium by diverting their attention from the mechanistical and materialistic view to an organic view of the environment. Alongside these, the study will enrich the current discussions on the role of religions in environmental sustainability from a Bangladeshi perspective.

Keywords

PL

bioregionalizm; koncepcja biosferyczna; ekoteologia; etyka środowiskowa; kryzys ekologiczny

EN

bioregionalism; biospheric vision; eco-theology; environmental ethics; environmental crisis

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie
• Journal: Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae
• Year: 2023
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 15-25

Dates

published

2023

Contributors

author

Md. Abu Sayem

• University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

• https://orcid.org/0000000214495206

References

• ADB (Asian Development Bank). 2004. Country Environmental Analysis-Bangladesh. Manila: Asian Development Bank.
• Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2014. Population and Housing Census-2011. Dhaka: Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
• Birch, Charles, John B. Cobb, Jr. 1982. The Liberation of Life: From the Cell to the Community. Texas: Environmental Ethics Book.
• Broad, Charles D. 1948. “Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947).” Mind 57(226): 139-145.
• Cobb, John B., Jr. 1972. Is It Too Late? A Theology of Ecology. Texas: Environmental Ethics Book.
• Cobb, John B., Jr. 1994. Sustaining the Common Good: A Christian Perspective on the Global Economy. Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press.
• Cobb, John B., Jr. 2007. Sustainability: Economics, Ecology and Justice. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers.
• Cobb, John B., Jr. 2014. Theological Reminiscences. Claremont, California: Process Century Press.
• Daly, Herman E., John B. Cobb, Jr., Clifford W. Cobb. 1989/1994. For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, Environment, and Sustainable Future. Boston: Beacon Press.
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• Sayem, Md. Abu. 2018. “Islamic Teaching and Practice of Environmental Ethics in Bangladesh: A Case Study.” Quest: Studies on Religion & Culture in Asia 3: 1-28.
• Soneson, Jerome P. 1994. “Doing Public Theology: John B. Cobb, Jr.’s Reconstruction of the Concept of ‘World’ and ‘God’ in the context of the Environmental Crisis.” American Journal of Theology & Philosophy 15(2): 153-161.
• The Telegraph. 2000. “David Brower (Obituary).” The Telegraph, November 08, 2000. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1373616/David-Brower.html.
• Trickett, David G. 1983. “Book review of The Liberation of Life: From the Cell to the Community, by Charles Birch and John B. Cobb, Jr.” Environmental Ethics 5(1): 91.

Identifiers

DOI

10.21697/seb.2023.16

Biblioteka Nauki

55593208