Lynn White Revisited: Religious and Cultural Backgrounds for Technological Development

Abstract

Since the beginning of the awareness of the environmental crisis, studies have tried to trace back the historical and ideological roots of industrial evolution. Many of these studies indicated elements of the Judeo-Christian tradition as at least co-responsible. Some 40 years later, this chapter overviews some strands of the discussions these studies have provoked, especially concerning the alleged anthropocentrism of Judaism and Christianity, and their disenchanting attitude towards nature. These traditional ideas are confronted with insights from Marcel Gauchet’s philosophy of religion, with inputs from other religions, and with empirical data from recent surveys.

status: published