Ecology, Community and Lifestyle: Outline of an Ecosophy QUOTES

1 " Quality of life is here considered to be something incompatible with artificial, material standards above that necessary for the satisfaction of fundamental needs, and secondly, that ecological considerations are to be regarded as preconditions for life quality, therefore not outside human responsibility…The lifestyle of the majority should be changed so that the material standard of living in the Western countries becomes universalisable within this century. A consumption over and above that which everyone can attain within the foreseeable future cannot be justified. "

― Arne Næss , Ecology, Community and Lifestyle: Outline of an Ecosophy

2 " ...er det meget sterke krefter som søker å erstatte friluftsliv med mekanisert miljøødeleggende og konkurranseformet opphold i natur. "

― Arne Næss , Ecology, Community and Lifestyle: Outline of an Ecosophy

3 " GNP is therefore in a certain sense a value-neutral quantity: a measure of activity, not of activity of any kind of value. A first argument against continued growth is just this. The GNP does not give any guarantee of meaningfulness of that which is created. Growth in GNP does not imply any growth in access to intrinsic values and progress along the course of self-realization. Obviously any kind of economic growth which is not related to intrinsic values is neutral or detrimental. The measure of GNP is somehow related to the fierceness of activity in the society but this fierceness may very well have more to do with a lack of ability of the members of the society to engage in meaningful activity than a measure of something humanity should look upon with joy. There is no clear relation to life quality. "

― Arne Næss , Ecology, Community and Lifestyle: Outline of an Ecosophy

4 " Gandhian nonviolence as interpreted in Næss:
1. The character of the means used in a group struggle determines the character of the results.

2. In a group struggle you can keep the goal-directed motivation and the ability to work effectively for the realization of the goal stronger than the destructive, violent tendencies, and the tendencies to passivity, despondency, or destruction, only by making a constructive program part of your campaign and by giving all phases of your struggle, as far as possible a positive character.

3. Short-term violence contradicts long-term universal reduction of violence.

4. You can give a struggle a constructive character only if you conceive of it and carry it out as a struggle in favour of living beings and certain values, thus eventually fighting antagonisms, not antagonists.

5. It increases your understanding of the conflict, of the participants, and of your own motivation, to live together with the participants, especially with those for whom you primarily fight. The most adequate form for living together is that of jointly doing constructive work.

6. If you live together with those for whom you primarily struggle and do constructive work with them, this will create a natural basis for trust and confidence in you.

7. All human (and non-human) beings have long-term interests in common.

8. Cooperation on common goals reduces the chance that the actions and attitudes of the participants in the conflict will become violent.

9. You invite violence from your opponent by humiliating or provoking him.

10. Thorough understanding of the relevant facts and factors increases the chance of a nonviolent realization of the goals of your campaign.

11. Incompleteness and distortion in your description of your case and the plans for your struggle reduce the chance of a nonviolent realization of your goals

12. Secrecy reduce the chance of a nonviolent realization of your goals.

13. You are less likely to take a violent attitude, the better you make clear to yourself the essential points in your cause and your struggle.

14. Your opponent is less likely to use violent means the better he understands your conduct and your case.

15. There is a strong disposition in every opponent such that wholehearted, intelligent, strong, and persistent appeal in favour of a good cause is able ultimately to convince him.

16. Mistrust stems from misjudgement, especially of the disposition of your opponent to answer trust with trust, mistrust with mistrust.

17. The tendency to misjudge and misunderstand your opponent and his case in an unfavourable direction increases his and your tendency to resort to violence.

18. You win conclusively when you turn your opponent into a believer and supporter of your case. "

― Arne Næss , Ecology, Community and Lifestyle: Outline of an Ecosophy

5 " Det økologiske siktepunkt forutsetter akseptering av at store fisk spiser små, men ikke nødvendigvis at store menn kverker små. "

― Arne Næss , Ecology, Community and Lifestyle: Outline of an Ecosophy