The Ecology of Linear and Cyclical Thought: Intercultural Musings on Time and Nature
Circularity is a common pattern in nature. For the sake of the environment, one has, therefore, presumed that we must (re)adapt to these cycles. Also, when it comes to religions and philosophies we can observe linear and cyclical thinking, especially with respect to the notion of time. Here, too, the argument has been put forward that cyclical thought is, unlike its linear counterpart, more ecologically friendly, most of all because it is less anthropocentric. In the following, I want to elaborate on these assumptions with special focus on Christian and Hindu traditions. With the aid of Friedrich Nietzsche’s and Native American philosophies I will argue that the issue at hand is more complex, calling for differentiation.
