Abstract

Launched in the early 1960s, the global debate on ecology involves attempts both to adequately define the concept of ecology, and to effectively solve ecological problems. The former aims at a correct diagnosis of the current ecological threats to humanity, and the latter at proposing appropriate ecological strategies that would take into account mankind’s civilizational aspirations and ensure stable and sustained growth. From the beginning, the debate had palpable political undertones manifested in the development of political concepts and strategies for individual countries, regions, and continents, and also for humanity as a whole. Within the debate, the broadly conceived postulate of partnership between man and his natural environment was adopted as the basis for proposing and implementing a programme of global partnership of economy and ecology, or in other words as a political aspiration of “reconciling the inseparable demands of healthy environment and healthy economy for all the nations in the world”. The proponents of this programme thus aim to reaffirm the credibility of politics, which should be understood not only as the art of achieving and wielding power, but also as the art of safeguarding human existence in a world under threat.