Environmental Medicine And Philosophy Of Environmental Pprotection

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The author, Julian Aleksandrowicz, argues that modern science has become overly specialized, leading to a disconnect from philosophy. Historically, science was considered "the fondness for wisdom," and great scientists integrated their findings into broader philosophical conceptions of the world. However, the 20th century saw a rise in narrowed scientific disciplines, prioritizing quick, verifiable results, which many now consider unscientific. This has created a widening gap between the exact sciences (physics, mathematics, biology) and the humanities.

Aleksandrowicz emphasizes that our understanding of reality is shaped by our individual personalities, experiences, culture, and crucially, our ecological environment. He expresses disappointment with the environmental protection movement when it limits itself to reporting pollution statistics. Instead, he advocates for a proactive approach to health, informed by scientific findings that link environmental deficiencies (like lack of manganese, iodine, iron, lithium, etc.) to specific diseases. He stresses the need to restore mineral equilibrium in soil and water, which directly impacts human health through the food chain.

A primary reason for the current global crisis, according to Aleksandrowicz, is the fascination with the exact sciences, which has led to the "reification" of humans. People are treated as mere material objects, subject to forces beyond their control, and focused on immediate results, losing the capacity for long-term anticipation of consequences. This objectification extends to how people treat each other, neglecting crucial aspects of humanism and ecological concern for population development.

He critiques the consumerist philosophy of highly developed countries, which assumes continuous "conquest of nature" and technological improvement without defining limits. Aleksandrowicz calls for a balance, suggesting that industrial production should be reduced to sustainable levels. More importantly, he asserts the necessity of defining both sociological and general philosophical attitudes towards nature. Philosophy must be integrated into scientific fields that regulate human relationships to address the detrimental environmental changes caused by scientific development.

Environmental medicine, he explains, focuses on the ecological conditioning of the psychosocial environment to shape the biophysical environment for healthier human development. He uses the example of the Earth's connection to the Sun, highlighting the role of chlorophyll and magnesium in photosynthesis, which sustains life. He criticifies the thoughtless destruction of plant life, arguing that humanity lacks an "ecological conscience"—the ability to subject its activities to ecological criteria.

Aleksandrowicz defines ecology as the study of life's aspects and natural laws, aiming to create living conditions for humans to achieve a fuller awareness of health and protect themselves from illness by guarding the harmony of the biocoenosis. The essence of the "ecology of civilizational diseases" lies in understanding why sick rates fluctuate across different environments and times.

He observes that medicine, as an institution, is ill-equipped for the current ecological situation. The uneven development of science, with physics and technical sciences advancing rapidly while humanities lag, contributes to this. Medicine, situated between biology and ethics, is hampered by this imbalance. He believes future medical science should focus on understanding the reasons for vast differences in health and happiness across different cultures and even small geographical areas.

Despite global dialogues and movements for environmental protection, Aleksandrowicz points out that many in industrialized nations suffer from "civilizational diseases" like arteriosclerosis, cancer, and neuroses due to a deteriorating quality of life. Conversely, the Third World grapples with starvation and parasitic diseases. He notes that neurosis, a subjective disturbance of feeling healthy, is particularly dangerous as it hinders the creation of healthy living conditions.

He argues that humanity is increasingly dying from diseases caused by the waste products of technical civilization rather than old age. The overwhelming scale of technical and biological sciences is overshadowing the knowledge carried by humanities, particularly ethics and inter-human relations. Aleksandrowicz stresses that improving the quality of life is the right and duty of all individuals, not just medical professionals. He laments that ethical development has not kept pace with technological advancements, leading to ethically underdeveloped individuals who can cause widespread suffering.

The author links a society's cultural level to its attitude towards nature. The unchecked pursuit of technological civilization, fueled by machines, depletes natural resources and pollutes the biosphere, ultimately contaminating humanity. He calls for breaking the chain of self-destruction caused by civilizational diseases. Protecting the psychosocial environment, which shapes inter-human relations and leads to a subjective feeling of well-being (health and happiness), is crucial.

He concludes that the current form of science has created a world rife with pathogenic factors. The accelerated development of science, with its exponential growth in workers, publications, and results, makes it impossible for the average human to process information. This leads to an "explosion of ignorance," particularly in ethics and inter-human relations, resulting in a deficit of knowledge about health, which is essential for happiness.

Aleksandrowicz criticizes the tendency of individuals to offload the responsibility for their health onto physicians. He emphasizes that humans are agents of change, creating norms, ideals, and evaluations. The duty to perfect inter-human solidarity, recognizing the interconnectedness of life through self-preservation, requires a socially-shaped consciousness. He draws a parallel between historical instances of cruelty and the current ethical deficiencies of those who pollute the environment, stating that their moral development doesn't surpass that of their "barbaric ancestors."

He acknowledges that while machines facilitate work and intellectual tasks, they cannot replace human feeling and thought, yet the technosphere increasingly presents them as models. This, coupled with a focus on supply and demand, contributes to the reification of man and a growing chasm between people, where kindness is becoming a relic.

However, Aleksandrowicz remains hopeful, believing humanity can improve its situation by convincing itself of its ability to shape the world for the better. He advocates for scientists and writers to disseminate knowledge broadly. He insists that the humanities, especially ethics, must not only keep pace with but outdistance the technical sciences. A "scientific and humanistic revolution" that awakens ecological conscience in all, emphasizing the absolute necessity of protecting the psycho-social and biophysical environment to consciously improve the "quality of life" for health, is the path to salvation.