Economy, Ecology, and Philosophy

Why do we require philosophy when humanity must fundamentally alter its relationship with its natural basis of life? “The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.” This urgent sentiment was expressed by the young Marx. In contrast to Marx's formulation, one could encapsulate this book with the motto: If the world is to be changed, it is crucial to interpret it appropriately. In view of a situation where action is urgently needed, practical philosophy aims on the one hand to gain an overview of the entire field to be worked on, and on the other hand to formulate all knowledge concerning this field in a language developed jointly by all participants beyond the scientific jargons. The four fundamental questions of philosophy should always be present in the background: What can I know, what should I do, what may I hope, what is man? In this context, the ignorance of all participants must always be addressed. Practical philosophy in this sense does not primarily belong to today's specialized discipline that bears the name philosophy, but expresses an attitude that all those interested in preserving the foundations of human life should adopt.