Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia

Tadie Degie Yigzaw

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11

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Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia

Tadie Degie Yigzaw

Published in International Journal of Philosophy (Volume 5, Issue 4)

Received: 21 June 2017 Accepted: 11 July 2017 Published: 29 September 2017

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people, in Gedeo zone focusing on sage and elite informants on three randomly selected woredas (the administrative unit in Ethiopia which is above kebele and below zone). It is assumed that the views of both sage and elite informants represents the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people is holistic and implicit. Methodologically, qualitative research approach has been employed. Theoretically, the meaning, nature, significance and the roles of environmental ethics were discussed with the informants and a nexus has been sought vis-à-vis scholarly perspectives. Besides, the moral relations between the Gedeo people with their environment were discussed. Despite the divergent meanings given by informants, the meaning of indigenous environmental ethics for the Gedeo people, undoubtedly, is understandable implicitly and found in unwritten form in their cultural practices, institutions, religious systems, history, and oral traditions. It is also holistic in its nature since it encompasses both anthropocentric (weak) and non-anthropocentric views. Besides, they provide utilitarian and non-utilitarian, intrinsic and extrinsic values and both the power of domination and stewardship for humankind towards the environment. Morality, religion, culture, history, indigenous knowledge, social institutions are the Archimedean points of environmental obligation. Generally, for the Gedeo people the issue of justice, integrity, and stability is not merely human virtues but they also extend them to the environment as well.

Published in	International Journal of Philosophy (Volume 5, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11
Page(s)	36-43
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Indigenous, Indigenous People, Environment, Ethics, Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Environmental Ethics

References

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[19]	Singer P. (1986). Animal liberation: A new ethics for our treatment of animals: London, Jonathan Cape. Stone, C. (1974) Should Trees Have Standing: Toward Legal Rights for NaturalObjects: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

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Tadie Degie Yigzaw. (2017). Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia. International Journal of Philosophy, 5(4), 36-43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11

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Tadie Degie Yigzaw. Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia. Int. J. Philos. 2017, 5(4), 36-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11

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Tadie Degie Yigzaw. Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia. Int J Philos. 2017;5(4):36-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11,
  author = {Tadie Degie Yigzaw},
  title = {Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia},
  journal = {International Journal of Philosophy},
  volume = {5},
  number = {4},
  pages = {36-43},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijp.20170504.11},
  abstract = {The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people, in Gedeo zone focusing on sage and elite informants on three randomly selected woredas (the administrative unit in Ethiopia which is above kebele and below zone). It is assumed that the views of both sage and elite informants represents the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people is holistic and implicit. Methodologically, qualitative research approach has been employed. Theoretically, the meaning, nature, significance and the roles of environmental ethics were discussed with the informants and a nexus has been sought vis-à-vis scholarly perspectives. Besides, the moral relations between the Gedeo people with their environment were discussed. Despite the divergent meanings given by informants, the meaning of indigenous environmental ethics for the Gedeo people, undoubtedly, is understandable implicitly and found in unwritten form in their cultural practices, institutions, religious systems, history, and oral traditions. It is also holistic in its nature since it encompasses both anthropocentric (weak) and non-anthropocentric views. Besides, they provide utilitarian and non-utilitarian, intrinsic and extrinsic values and both the power of domination and stewardship for humankind towards the environment. Morality, religion, culture, history, indigenous knowledge, social institutions are the Archimedean points of environmental obligation. Generally, for the Gedeo people the issue of justice, integrity, and stability is not merely human virtues but they also extend them to the environment as well.},
 year = {2017}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia
AU  - Tadie Degie Yigzaw
Y1  - 2017/09/29
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11
T2  - International Journal of Philosophy
JF  - International Journal of Philosophy
JO  - International Journal of Philosophy
SP  - 36
EP  - 43
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7455
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11
AB  - The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people, in Gedeo zone focusing on sage and elite informants on three randomly selected woredas (the administrative unit in Ethiopia which is above kebele and below zone). It is assumed that the views of both sage and elite informants represents the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people is holistic and implicit. Methodologically, qualitative research approach has been employed. Theoretically, the meaning, nature, significance and the roles of environmental ethics were discussed with the informants and a nexus has been sought vis-à-vis scholarly perspectives. Besides, the moral relations between the Gedeo people with their environment were discussed. Despite the divergent meanings given by informants, the meaning of indigenous environmental ethics for the Gedeo people, undoubtedly, is understandable implicitly and found in unwritten form in their cultural practices, institutions, religious systems, history, and oral traditions. It is also holistic in its nature since it encompasses both anthropocentric (weak) and non-anthropocentric views. Besides, they provide utilitarian and non-utilitarian, intrinsic and extrinsic values and both the power of domination and stewardship for humankind towards the environment. Morality, religion, culture, history, indigenous knowledge, social institutions are the Archimedean points of environmental obligation. Generally, for the Gedeo people the issue of justice, integrity, and stability is not merely human virtues but they also extend them to the environment as well.
VL  - 5
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Tadie Degie Yigzaw

Department of Civics and Ethical Studies, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Tadie Degie Yigzaw. (2017). Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia. International Journal of Philosophy, 5(4), 36-43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11

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ACS Style

Tadie Degie Yigzaw. Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia. Int. J. Philos. 2017, 5(4), 36-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Tadie Degie Yigzaw. Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia. Int J Philos. 2017;5(4):36-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11,
  author = {Tadie Degie Yigzaw},
  title = {Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia},
  journal = {International Journal of Philosophy},
  volume = {5},
  number = {4},
  pages = {36-43},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijp.20170504.11},
  abstract = {The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people, in Gedeo zone focusing on sage and elite informants on three randomly selected woredas (the administrative unit in Ethiopia which is above kebele and below zone). It is assumed that the views of both sage and elite informants represents the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people is holistic and implicit. Methodologically, qualitative research approach has been employed. Theoretically, the meaning, nature, significance and the roles of environmental ethics were discussed with the informants and a nexus has been sought vis-à-vis scholarly perspectives. Besides, the moral relations between the Gedeo people with their environment were discussed. Despite the divergent meanings given by informants, the meaning of indigenous environmental ethics for the Gedeo people, undoubtedly, is understandable implicitly and found in unwritten form in their cultural practices, institutions, religious systems, history, and oral traditions. It is also holistic in its nature since it encompasses both anthropocentric (weak) and non-anthropocentric views. Besides, they provide utilitarian and non-utilitarian, intrinsic and extrinsic values and both the power of domination and stewardship for humankind towards the environment. Morality, religion, culture, history, indigenous knowledge, social institutions are the Archimedean points of environmental obligation. Generally, for the Gedeo people the issue of justice, integrity, and stability is not merely human virtues but they also extend them to the environment as well.},
 year = {2017}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Dealing with Environment: Indigenous Environmental Ethics, Ethiopia
AU  - Tadie Degie Yigzaw
Y1  - 2017/09/29
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11
T2  - International Journal of Philosophy
JF  - International Journal of Philosophy
JO  - International Journal of Philosophy
SP  - 36
EP  - 43
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7455
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20170504.11
AB  - The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people, in Gedeo zone focusing on sage and elite informants on three randomly selected woredas (the administrative unit in Ethiopia which is above kebele and below zone). It is assumed that the views of both sage and elite informants represents the indigenous environmental ethics of the Gedeo people is holistic and implicit. Methodologically, qualitative research approach has been employed. Theoretically, the meaning, nature, significance and the roles of environmental ethics were discussed with the informants and a nexus has been sought vis-à-vis scholarly perspectives. Besides, the moral relations between the Gedeo people with their environment were discussed. Despite the divergent meanings given by informants, the meaning of indigenous environmental ethics for the Gedeo people, undoubtedly, is understandable implicitly and found in unwritten form in their cultural practices, institutions, religious systems, history, and oral traditions. It is also holistic in its nature since it encompasses both anthropocentric (weak) and non-anthropocentric views. Besides, they provide utilitarian and non-utilitarian, intrinsic and extrinsic values and both the power of domination and stewardship for humankind towards the environment. Morality, religion, culture, history, indigenous knowledge, social institutions are the Archimedean points of environmental obligation. Generally, for the Gedeo people the issue of justice, integrity, and stability is not merely human virtues but they also extend them to the environment as well.
VL  - 5
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download