LINK BETWEEN MASAO ABE’S ZEN PHILOSOPHY AND ECOLOGICAL RESPONSIBILITY
Keywords:
Masao Abe, Zen Buddhism, Ecological Responsibility, Environmental Ethics, Compassion, Interdependence, Non-Duality, SustainabilityAbstract
Contemporary environmental crises such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss raise not only scientific and political questions but also ethical ones about how humanity understands its place in nature. Western environmental ethics offer important frameworks for addressing these issues. This study examines the relationship between Masao Abe’s Zen philosophy and ecological responsibility, and argues that Abe’s thought offers a distinctive perspective grounded in compassion, interconnectedness, and non-duality. Using a qualitative, library-based philosophical approach, the study applies conceptual analysis and comparative interpretation to Abe’s writings, drawing on the Buddhist concepts of karuna (compassion), sunyata (emptiness), and dependent origination, and places them in dialogue with Western environmental ethics. Abe’s Zen philosophy challenges anthropocentric and dualistic views that separate humanity from nature. Compassion functions as a catalyst for ecological care, extending moral concern to all forms of life and encouraging sustainable practices. Interconnectedness provides an ethical framework that emphasizes the mutual dependence of all beings and awareness of the consequences of human actions on the environment. Non-duality dissolves the perceived divide between humans and nature, presenting environmental care as an expression of self-awareness and shared existence. By engaging both Eastern and Western philosophical perspectives, the study concludes that Abe’s Zen philosophy provides a transformative and practical approach to ecological ethics, fostering a deeper sense of environmental responsibility and harmony between humanity and the natural world.
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