Abstract

Since the middle of the 20th century, environmentalists, biologists and philosophers have carried out research and theoretical reflections that have resulted in the emergence of environmental ethics. The post-war scenario and the effects of advanced technology applied to industry revealed the infeasibility of the contemporary model of life, as the harmful effects suffered by biodiversity became evident. Within the context of the planetary crisis, the question arose as to how the human being's vision of nature influences the type of relationship he/she assumes with nature. The interest of the present work lies in promoting and conceptually arguing for a harmonious relationship between human beings and nature. The methodology used is qualitative, descriptive and contextual analysis. After a historical journey examining the peculiar ways in which humanity has conceived nature, a link has been established between this conception and the particular modality of relationship assumed in each historical phase. The research carried out has made it possible to establish at least five modalities of relationship in the aforementioned sense, with the geophilic relationship as the preferred option. Two notions have been used for an adequate approach to the subject: geophily and geophilic plants. Based on this, and from a vegetal perspective, the present work is a theoretical effort to approach environmental ethics from a different perspective, with the purpose of fostering friendly ties between the human person and the common home.

Keywords:  environmental ethics; geophilia; geophilic plants; planetary crisis; humanity-nature relationship