Towards a Reconceptualisation of the Epistemological Foundation of the Three Gorges Project to Address Moral Concerns Surrounding Issues of Population Dislocation
Given the growing concerns about climate change linked to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, hydroelectric power has been praised as a sound alternative to traditional power sources, allegedly with no detectable greenhouse gas emissions. To date the major political discussion of environmental impacts has focused on the benefit hydroelectric power offers by producing power without producing greenhouse gases. Engineering education in China and in much of the world has been primarily practical, and there has to date been no, or only little philosophically reflective training which would help engineers understand the comprehensive impacts of so environmentally intrusive a dam as planned in the Three Gorges Project. The intention of this piece will be to make explicit the dominant epistemological foundation which underpins much of the planning discourse debate on the Three Gorges Project. Our aim will be to show that while the consequent approach to solving the environmental issues surrounding the Project represents a valuable ecological endeavour, it will remain an incomplete approach until the technoepistemological framework which informs the discussion is made more comprehensive in moral and humanitarian terms. A conspicuous example of the pressing need for a more empathetic epistemology of moral sensibility relates to socio-cultural issues of resettlement. To make space for The Three Gorges Project, millions of Chinese have been evicted from their land and have become what have been termed Reservoir Refugees. A number of important questions concerning social justice are raised in this context, along with what might be called Cultural Genecide. The use of this admittedly evocative and morally provocative term is meant to refer to the way in which massive dislocations of Chinese country folk can bring about the destruction and thus the death of their socially defining heritage. This happens when the relocation of local populations in such monumental proportions is so disruptive and alienating that it leads to the decimation of their unique cultural traditions, which may include special crafts and agriculture skills, art, cooking, and oral traditions of mythology along with the distinct dialects and musical forms by way of which they are also expressed. To address these issues more effectively, and with a greater degree of moral sensitivity, we shall elaborate a theory of empathetic epistemology derived from quantum philosophical constructions of the indivisible and seamless interconnectivity between socio-cultural and physical reality which impinge and condition human well being and happiness.
Reconceptualisation Epistemology Three Gorges Project Population Dislocation
Ronald S.Laura Senior Pro fessor Dan Zhou
the Faculty of Education and Arts, The University of Newcastle, Australia PhD Candidate in Engineering and Environmental Education, Faculty of Education and Arts,The Univers
国际会议
三峡
英文
297-313
2008-10-01（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）