Abdullah Öcalan on the return to social ecology
“Humans gain in value when they understand that animals and plants
are only entrusted to them. A social ‘consciousness’ that lacks
ecological consciousness will inevitably corrupt and disintegrate”.
Just as the system has led the social crisis into chaos, so has the
environment begun to send out S.O.S. signals in the form of
life-threatening catastrophes. Cancer-like cities, polluted air, the
perforated ozone layer, the rapidly accelerating extinction of animal
and plant species, the destruction of forests, the pollution of water by
waste, piling up mountains of rubbish and unnatural population growth
have driven the environment into chaos and insurrection. It’s all about
maximum profit, regardless of how many cities, people, factories,
transportation, synthetic materials, polluted air and water our planet
can handle. This negative development is not fate. It is the result of
an unbalanced use of science and technology in the hands of power. It
would be wrong to hold science and technology responsible for this
process. Science and technology in themselves are not to blame. They
function according to the forces of the social system. Just as they can
destroy nature, they can heal it. The problem is exclusively a social
one. There is a great contradiction between the level of science and
technology and the standard of living of the overwhelming majority of
people. This situation is the result of the interests of a minority that
has control over science and technology. In a democratic and free
society, however, science and technology will play an ecological role.
Ecology itself is also a science. It examines the relationship of
society to its environment. Although it is still a very young science,
it will play a leading role in overcoming the contradiction between
society and nature together with all other sciences. The environmental
consciousness that has already been developed in places will make a
revolutionary leap forward through ecology understood in this way. The
bond between the communal primitive society and nature is like the bond
between child and mother. Nature is understood as something alive. The
golden rule of the religion of this time was not to do anything against
it in order not to be punished by it. The natural religion is the
religion of the communal primitive society. There is no contradiction to
nature, no anomaly in the emergence of society. Philosophy itself
defines the human being as “nature becoming aware of itself”. The human
being is basically the most developed part of nature. This proves the
unnaturalness and anomaly of this social system, which puts the most
developed part of nature in contradiction to it. The fact that this
social system has turned the human, who enthusiastically united himself
with nature in feasts, into such a plague for nature shows that it is
itself the plague. The holistic nature of human and the natural
environment does not only refer to economic and social issues. It is
also an indispensable philosophical passion to understand nature. This
is actually based on reciprocity. Nature proves its great curiosity and
creative power by becoming human. The human being, on the other hand,
recognizes itself by understanding nature. It is remarkable that the
Sumerian word for freedom, “Amargi”, means return to the mother –
nature. Between human being and nature there is a quasi love
relationship. This is a great love story. To destroy this love is,
religiously speaking, a mortal sin. Because you cannot create a greater
sense of meaning than this one. In this context, the remarkable
significance of our interpretation of the female bleeding is shown once
again. It is both a sign of the distance from nature and of its origin.
The woman’s naturalness stems from her closeness to nature. This is also
the real meaning of her mysterious attraction.
No social system
that is not in harmony with nature can claim rationality and morality
for itself. Therefore, the system that is most at odds with nature will
also be overcome in terms of rationality and morality. As can be seen
from this brief definition of the contradiction between the capitalist
social system and its present chaotic state and the catastrophic
destruction of the environment, it is a dialectical relationship. The
fundamental contradiction to nature can only be overcome by turning away
from the system. It cannot be solved by environmental protection
movements alone. On the other hand, an ecological society also requires a
moral change. The amorality of capitalism can only be overcome by an
ecological approach. The connection between morality and conscience
demands an empathetic and sympathetic spirituality. This in turn only
makes sense if it is based on ecological competence. Ecology means
friendship with nature, belief in natural religion. In this respect
ecology stands for a renewed, conscious and enlightened union into a
natural, organic society.
Also the practical problems of an
ecological way of life are quite topical. One of the tasks of the
activists is to expand the many existing organizations in every respect
and to make them an integral part of democratic society. This also
includes solidarity with the feminist and liberal women’s movements. One
of the most important activities in democratisation is the promotion
and organisation of environmental awareness. Just as there once was a
pronounced class or national consciousness, we must create an awareness
of democracy and the environment through intensive campaigns. Whether we
are talking about animal rights, the protection of forests or
reforestation, such actions, if carried out properly, are indispensable
elements of social actionism. For people who have no feeling for the
biological can only have a disturbed social feeling.
Those who
perceive the relationship between the two can feel true and with all
their senses. Nature, which has so far been plundered and exposed, must
and will witness a great struggle to restore its cover of flora and
fauna. The forest will have to be given a chance again. “Great
patriotism means reforestation and planting trees.” This is a valuable
slogan.
Those who do not love and protect animals will also not
be able to protect and love humans. Man gains value when he understands
that animals and plants are only entrusted to him. A social
“consciousness” that lacks ecological consciousness will inevitably
corrupt and disintegrate, as was seen in real socialism. Ecological
consciousness is a fundamental ideological consciousness. It resembles a
bridge between philosophy and morality. A policy that promises
salvation from the current crisis can only lead to a real social system
if it is ecological. As with the problem of women’s freedom, the
patriarchal and etatist understanding of power also contributes to the
fact that ecological problems have been delayed for so long and have
still not been solved properly. If ecology and feminism continue to
develop, the patriarchal and etatist system becomes completely out of
balance. The true struggle for democracy and socialism will only become a
complete affair when it takes up the cause of women’s freedom and
nature’s salvation. Only such a complete struggle for a new social
system can lead to a meaningful way out of the current chaos.
The text is an excerpt from Abdullah Öcalan’s defense pamphlet “Bir Halkı Savunmak” (engl: “Beyond State, Power and Violence”.)
