Ethical Thoughts on Energy Dilemma from the Perspective of Ecological Civilization

Abstract

From the perspective of ecological civilization, energy is not only the source of power in the physical sense, but also the fundamental bond for maintaining the life network. Energy ethics demands intergenerational justice, guarantees the temporal and spatial fairness of energy distribution, and focuses on the sustainability of energy storage between generations. However, under the overall perspective emphasizing economic development, the predicament of energy ethics highlights the cognitive limitations of human beings in energy utilization, namely, excessive focus on rational calculation and economic benefits, which has an obvious conflict with the value rationality of the ecosystem. Moreover, there is a profound contradiction between the energy liberation effect brought about by technological progress and the limited carrying capacity of the ecology. The dialectical relationship between the right to development and the right to survival has always plagued the progress of human society. These paradoxes expose the limitations of the linear development concept since the Enlightenment and also reveal the ethical predicament that humanity faces in the process of reconstructing the energy order. Based on this, this paper explores the construction of energy ethics from the perspective of ecological philosophy. View energy usage as a way to participate in natural symbiosis and promote the transformation of energy ethics from utilitarian calculation to responsible value. Incorporate the ecological perspective of non-human life into energy decisions, promote the integration of energy systems into the broader context of ecological circulation, and achieve "harmony between man and nature".