Buddhism in the context of the search for a new civilizational paradigm: the ecological dimension
https://doi.org/10.53315/2782-3377-2026-6-1-102-113
Abstract
This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the axiological potential of Buddhist philosophy in the context of overcoming the global environmental crisis. The aim of the study is to identify the ontological and ethical foundations of Buddhism that could provide a ideological alternative to the currently dominant anthropocentric paradigm underlying the consumerist attitude toward nature. The methodological basis of the study is dialectical and comparative historical methods, allowing for a comparison of Western and Eastern approaches to understanding the natural world and the place of humans within it. The paper argues that the key doctrines of Buddhism — the doctrine of dependent origination (pratityasamutpada), the principle of non-violence (ahimsa), and the law of karmic retribution — form a holistic environmental ethic that rejects the rigid dualism of subject and object. Humans are viewed not as masters of nature, but as equal elements in a unified web of existence, where every action has irreversible cause-and-effect consequences. In particular, the principle of the Middle Way is interpreted as a sociocultural imperative of moderate consumption and abstinence from excess. It is concluded that Buddhism represents a viable ethical platform for the formation of a new civilizational model based on the principles of harmony, environmental awareness, and collective responsibility to future generations.
About the Author
V. Kh. Khomutnikov
Kalmyk State University named after B.B. Gorodovikov
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Vasily Kh. Khomutnikov, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences
Elista
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For citations:
Khomutnikov V.Kh. Buddhism in the context of the search for a new civilizational paradigm: the ecological dimension. Nomadic civilization: historical research. 2026;6(1):102-113. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.53315/2782-3377-2026-6-1-102-113
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