A PHILOSOPHICAL CONTENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ERGONOMICS

Abstract

Ecology and ergonomics are modern synonyms of nature and labor concepts, which constitute the basics of human life and activities at all the stages of evolution and shapes the worldview in harmony with nature - anthropocentrism and ecocentrism. In philosophy, anthropocentrism is understood as the union of philosophical researches of human issues. Currently, widespread meaning of anthropocentrism is ecological meaning: man is the master of nature and owns the right to receive all the necessary natural resources, even by infringing on the other species. By the species discrimination - infringement of interests and rights of one kind over another is based on the belief of the own superiority. Commonly the justification for such superiority was the thesis: «We can not wait the favors from nature, the task is to obtain it». The anthropocentrism was the prevailing worldview for many centuries. At the present time, the anthropocentrism begins to be viewed as a negative form of the worldview. The beginning of radical changes within the attitude to anthropocentrism can be attributed to the results of studies of the spouses Meadows et al., which are reflected in the report to the Club of Rome – «The Limits to Growth». In the late 60’s, the Club of Rome set a goal to explore the nearest and the longer consequences of large-scale decisions related to the paths of the mankind development. It was suggested to use a systematic approach for studying global problems within the method of mathematical computer modeling. This kind of computer model can not be self-sufficient because it does not reflect and it does not analyze the influence and interaction of such philosophical categories as quantity and quality, which are fundamental for it. The computer model includes the global process, which is population growth, i.e. quantitative attributes, but there is no qualitative content of the given number. To reflect the qualitative changes of the global processes under investigation, it is necessary to include the human labor (anthropogenic) activity in the computer model, since it is directly related to the other indicators of global processes and is among the main causes of degradation of environment and increasing shortage of the foodstuffs, depletion availability of natural resources, rapid industrialization. That solution of limits of the increasing, which takes into account the main system-forming factor, can be a valid and comprehensive answer to many critical remarks on the generalization of the conclusions of this study for all regions of the planet, without taking into account the natural and climatic conditions, social development features and the division it on poorly developed, developing and industrial. The process of ecology penetration into many spheres of the society vital functions and the development of ecological ergonomics deduces practical ergonomics from the applied scientific discipline into the theoretical discipline, as it allows solving fundamental problems of environmental protection and environmental safety. Environmental ergonomics is not a simple, mechanical connection between the human-machine system and the human-environment system, and it is a mutual penetration, searching compromises, breaking stereotypes aimed to ensure vital functions in front of increasing number of risks of the technosphere.