Human Existential Dilemma (Paradox of Development)

Author: Zhou Hailin et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Man is not the master of existence; man is the guardian of existence. In the modern society we live in, reason provides ample justification for human free will; at the same time, society and the natural environment directly or indirectly constrain the freedom of human behavior. In this contradiction, man is both a beneficiary and a victim of his own actions. This paradox of behavior is a unique and inescapable predicament that modern society must confront yet seeks to escape. The theme of this book is to discuss this predicament of human existence and, consequently, reveal the potential crisis of development. Man is not the master of existence; man is the guardian of existence. In the modern society we live in, reason provides ample justification for human free will; at the same time, society and the natural environment directly or indirectly constrain the freedom of human behavior. In this contradiction, man is both a beneficiary and a victim of his own actions. This paradox of behavior is a unique and inescapable predicament that modern society must confront yet seeks to escape. The theme of this book is to discuss this predicament of human existence and, consequently, reveal the potential crisis of development.
This work on the relationship between humans and nature includes the birth of humans and their interactions with the biosphere, the various impacts humans have on nature, the reasons why humans determine themselves as the center of the Earth, and the influence of consumerism and the market on the social structure of human society and modes of existence. It discusses the paradox between the subjective desire for development and its actual outcomes. The book re-examines the nature of nature and natural processes from a scientific perspective, while elaborating on the various driving forces and outcomes of development from a sociological perspective. It provides a comprehensive account of human development, the crisis situations and paradoxical outcomes it has led to.