This contribution points to interesting connections between the current critical condition of nature and women's position in society. I give an account of ecofeminism and try to place it within the context of feminist and environmental movement. The purpose of this article is to introduce the basic ideas of ecofeminism, whose underlying principle is a critique of dualistic thinking, and a critique of the application of the logic of dominance and hierarchy. I argue that this critique may be based on feministic epistemology. Furthermore, I explain the ecofeminist critique of dualistic thinking and hierarchy against the changes on the background of the scientific revolution, which had a big impact on the position of women in society and the current global ecological crisis.
Ecofeminism is a current emerged in 1970, it’s a movement that sees a connection between the degradation of the natural world and the subordination and oppression of women. For some time problem of ecological crisis and feministic analyses have been influencing on theological reflection. Ecofeministic theology aims at combining ecology, feminism and theology. Its main proponents are: Rosemary Radford Ruether, Elizabeth Johnson, Sally McFague, Mary Grey, Anne Primavesi, Ivone Gebara, Elizabeth Green and Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel. Many of authors make a hypothesis about responsibility of Jewish and Christian tradition for women suppression in patriarchal dualism and aims at reinterpreting some theological concepts.
The article aims at presenting a description and a definition of ecofeminism with regard to the complexity of that theory. The bases for the analysis is the first collection of feminist philosophical essays on ecofeminism entitled Ecological Feminist Philosophies edited by Karren J. Warren. Ecofeminism is an intellectual trend and a social movement, as well as a system of values, and an ethical and political praxis which attempts to improve global and local situation of women and the natural environment. Ecofeminists indicate that all forms of oppression are interrelated, therefore, the liberation of women and environmentalism have a common objective. The goal of the ecofeminist philosophy is to problematize the dualistic vision of man as well as analyzing the epistemological and empirical bases of the polarization of nature and culture. In the first part, the author describes major theoretical assumptions and practical postulates formulated in the field of ecofeminism: the role of patriarchal concepts in perpetuating the domination of women and nature; the grassroots origins and character of ecofeminism; the theoretical fundament of objectification of nature. In the second part, the author discusses in short a project of ecofeminist ethics. The aim of the ecofeminist ethics is to develop an theory and praxis which would encompass women and the natural world. Ecofeminism has shown that the environmental ethics cannot be accurately discussed without an analysis of gender categories and interlocking systems of domination.
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