K.E. Løgstrup on person and ecology

Resumen

The paper explores the philosophy of Knud Ejler Løgstrup, a prominent Danish thinker of the 20.th century. His work, rooted in phenomenology, explored the relationship between human beings and nature, emphasizing that this connection is established through sensation. Løgstrup argued that humans are an integral part of nature rather than separate entities. His philosophy suggests a deep connection between interpersonal ethics and the natural world, both based on a pre-rational, immediate engagement with existence. Løgstrup's thought was shaped by his interactions with Martin Heidegger, whose existential phenomenology influenced Løgstrup's approach to human life. However, Løgstrup critiqued Heidegger's concept of "handiness" which reduces nature to a tool for human use. Instead, Løgstrup developed a theory of sensation that eliminates the distance between humans and the world, proposing that in sensation, humans are emplaced in the universe, directly connected to nature without the mediation of language or rationality. Løgstrup also explored the ethical implications of this distanceless relationship with nature, arguing that nature's alienation from human understanding is essential for maintaining moral responsibility towards it. He emphasized that preserving nature should be for its own sake, rather than for human exploitation, warning that the destruction of nature due to a disregard for sensation could lead to humanity's downfall. His work ultimately calls for a responsible, ethical approach to nature, grounded in an immediate, sensation-based connection to the universe.