author:
Denys Fen (https://orcid.org/0000-0006-6973-7539)
Relevance of the research. Human practical activity appears as a mode of active transformation of the world, which presupposes systematic intervention into the being of nature and its internal organization. In contemporary scientific discourse, these processes are interpreted through the lens of the Anthropocene concept, which captures the irreversible character of anthropogenic environmental changes. At the same time, technological advancements and the expansion of human influence are accompanied by the intensification of ecological risks, the depletion of natural resources, and growing uncertainty regarding the future conditions of human existence. This indicates that existing strategies of ecological responsibility remain largely declarative and are not supported by coherent worldview orientations capable of ensuring a rethinking of the human–nature relationship.
Problem statement. Within contemporary approaches to interpreting the human–nature relationship, a utilitarian reduction of nature to a mere resource predominates, resulting in its instrumentalization within the framework of technogenic rationality. However, the development of alternative worldview models remains insufficiently elaborated—models in which nature is understood not as an object of use, but as the ontological foundation of human existence. In this context, the principle of anteism requires conceptualization not as a metaphorical representation of the human bond with the earth and nature, but as a coherent worldview orientation capable of serving as a theoretical foundation for rethinking the humanistic basis of the human–nature relationship.
Analysis of recent research and publications. The analysis of the human–nature relationship in the context of the Anthropocene occupies a central place in contemporary scientific discourse. The concept of the Anthropocene, proposed by P. Crutzen and E. Stoermer, is interpreted not only as a designation of a new geological epoch, but also as a conceptual framework for critically rethinking the place of humans in the world. In the works of T. Ingold, A. Naess, J. Rockström, Å. Persson and others, emphasis is placed on the need to revise established models of interaction between humans and the natural environment and to move toward more integrative approaches that take into account the interdependence of ecological, social, and cultural processes. At the same time, in the philosophy of education, particularly in the studies of S. Sterling, as well as in the concepts of ecologically oriented education developed by D. Orr, the necessity of transforming educational practices is emphasized as a prerequisite for the formation of new worldview orientations. These approaches expand the understanding of ecological issues by incorporating them into the sphere of value-based and cultural transformations. Within the Ukrainian philosophical tradition, the problem of the human–nature relationship is interpreted through the categories of rootedness, responsibility, and spirituality. In the works of A. Yermolenko, V. Kryssachenko, M. Kyselov, and A. Tolstoukhov, ecological issues are examined in the context of ethical responsibility, the formation of ecological culture, and the principles of sustainable development. At the same time, despite the considerable body of research, the issue of conceptualizing such worldview approaches that would enable overcoming the instrumental understanding of nature and restoring its ontological status within the structure of human existence remains insufficiently developed. In this context, the principle of anteism requires further philosophical elaboration.
Research task. The principle of anteism acquires particular significance as a conceptual foundation for the philosophical interpretation of the human–nature relationship in the context of the Anthropocene, where the problem of preserving their integrity and humanistic dimension becomes increasingly acute. The aim of the study is to provide a theoretical substantiation of anteism as a philosophical principle of human rootedness in the natural world and to reveal its significance in the transformations of the human–nature relationship in the Anthropocene. In accordance with this aim, the following research objectives are defined: first, to conceptualize the Anthropocene as a contemporary epoch of transformation in the human–nature relationship; second, to analyze contemporary socio-cultural practices of responding to environmental challenges in the context of the ambivalence of human activity; third, to substantiate the humanistic potential of anteism as a worldview orientation.
Main material presentation. The Anthropocene is characterized by a systemic excess of natural resource consumption over the regenerative capacities of ecosystems, which indicates the emergence of a condition of ecological indebtedness to future generations. This dynamic reflects the deepening disruption of the fundamental relationship between humans and the natural world, within which human activity has acquired a planetary scale, affecting not only landscapes but also the functioning of the biosphere as a whole. Under these conditions, there arises a need for a critical rethinking of the idea of human power, traditionally grounded in the notion of unlimited transformation of the world and accompanied by the neglect of its destructive consequences. In this context, anteism emerges as a worldview paradigm that enables the restoration of the understanding of the human as a being rooted in nature and allows for the interpretation of humanity as a historical community responsible for preserving the conditions of its own existence. The appeal to anteism opens the possibility of affirming responsibility toward future generations, while simultaneously actualizing the need for an ecological turn as an intellectual transformation of contemporary thinking. Such a turn presupposes a revision of established value orientations, particularly the ideology of unlimited economic growth that underpins the logic of technogenic civilization.
Conclusions. The contemporary epoch of the Anthropocene demonstrates not only an ecological crisis but also a profound transformation in the mode of human existence in the world. The disruption of the relationship between humans and nature, the instrumentalization of the environment, and its reduction to a resource have led to a situation in which humanity becomes a significant factor of planetary change, while simultaneously losing its capacity for co-existence with the natural world. Environmental challenges today are complex and manifest themselves both in the material dimension (waste accumulation, resource depletion, climate change) and in the worldview dimension–through anthropocentrism, the illusion of control, and alienation from the Earth. In this context, particular importance is attached to the recognition of the ambivalence of the anthropological position: humans act simultaneously as a source of ecological destruction and as subjects of practices aimed at overcoming it. Technical solutions to environmental problems remain limited without a transformation of the worldview foundations that determine human interaction with nature. Practices such as geoengineering and environmental initiatives demonstrate this duality–an aspiration for control and attempts to restore balance–yet they do not eliminate the ontological causes of the crisis. In this context, the humanistic potential of anteism lies in its ability to affirm the human as a being rooted in nature and to define the limits of permissible intervention in natural processes, thereby actualizing responsibility toward future generations.
Key words: Anthropocene, anteism, human–nature relationship, humanistic potential, ecological crisis, instrumentalization of nature.
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