The ethics of caring for others and environmental bioethics

Abstract

This article analyzes the unfolding of instrumental rationality of the Aufklärung (Enlightenment) regarding human action over the environment. The study highlights Hans Jonas’ criticisms of Kant’s sapere aude maxim, which would support a perspective of knowledge as unlimited power over nature. Hans Jonas, on the other hand, proposes a new ethic, which considers the demands of future generations as a criterion for the use of technologies that may affect nature. His proposal can be used to develop a new perspective on ethics as care for the Other and bioethics as care for life. As a methodological basis, we used the Frankfurtian criticism of instrumental reason.