HEIDEGGER'S SUPPORT FOR DEEP ECOLOGY REEXAMINED ONCE AGAIN: ONTOLOGICAL EGALITARIANISM, OR FAREWELL TO THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING

摘要

In the paper, I argue that deep ecologists did not take full advantage of the potential of Martin Heidegger's philosophy to support the founda-tional assumptions of deep ecology. They have overlooked Heidegger's attempt to reject the idea of the great chain of being (reinforcing his critique of metaphysics as "ontotheology"), which is essential for the concept of ecospherical egalitarianism. In considering the notion of "eco-spherical egalitarianism," I shall recognize Heidegger's ontology as an "ontological egalitarianism." Finally, I will show that Heidegger's project seems to be even more universal than deep ecology since Heidegger is concerned with artifacts as well as natural entities.