Abstract
Thinking and acting in favor of sustainable development is internationally recognized; it is necessary but societies and individuals are slow to adopt an appropriate behavior. International organizations such as World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology recommend to opt for frugality, a principle emphasized to avoid over-consumption and consequently the depletion of natural resources. This article thus examines the principle of frugality by proving that it is not necessarily related to consumption as it is understood since the Enlightenment: we have to take into account the Asian perspective that changes the relationship between humankind and nature, first taking into consideration the good of the whole community. I argue that frugality is not necessarily in conflict with economy but certainly challenging it as expressed by the Indian terms Jugaad or Gandhian: a way of thinking and creating new projects that lead to fruitful solutions for the majority. Therefore I intend to provide a positive definition of frugality as a way of creating new projects that lead to fruitful solutions for the majority.
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Notes
Wang and Lin (2009).
COMEST (2005).
“By 2015, COMEST envisages to produce a document that combines the principles and responsibilities already stated by the Commission in 2011. (…) COMEST has already identified a number of principles of relevance for a comprehensive ethical framework in relation to climate change, such as the principles of sustainability; global justice; solidarity of life on earth; resilience; frugality; biological and cultural diversity; integrity as applied to ecosystems; and safeguarding and promoting the interests of present and future generations.” COMEST, “Briefing about the work of UNESCO’s COMEST on a general framework of ethical principles for climate change”, 4.
Kipling (1906).
Sangave (2006).
Zslonai (2008), p. 281.
Tsu (1905), p. 35.
Miler (2008).
Weiming (1998).
René Descartes, Discourse on the Method, Tome 1, part 6.
Nash (1995).
Diderot (1757).
Siounadan et al. (2013), p. 21.
In France, Pierre Rabhi is a famous farmer and writer. Self taught man, he is born in Algeria in 1938. He starts to work in a Parisian factory. A few years later (1959) he and his wife buy a land in a poor French province. His aim is to conciliate the human history with a natural balance. Engaged in an agricultural ecology center, he gives his expertise to young French farmers, to farmers in the Sahel desert and then in several countries in Africa, Middle-east and Eastern-Europe. At the request of the U.N. he prepares in 1998 some concrete proposals for the implementation of his plan for the Agreement on action against desertification (CCD).
Rabhi (2008), p. 91.
Pierre Rabhi, ibid. p. 93.
Rabhi (2008), p. 118.
Ibid p. 98.
In 2006, the Movement for Earth and Humanism (Mouvement pour la Terre et l’Humanisme) created in 2002 for the presidential election in France becomes Hummingbird Movement (Association Colibri). The movement’s choice of name comes from the favorite legend of Pierre Rabhi. This legend also inspired the founder of the Green belt movement, Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmental and politician activist, Nobel peace prize laureate. This South American story narrates that a day a huge wildfire was devastating the primal forest. Disconcerted, the entire animals were watching the disaster happening. The hummingbird was active for its part. He was carrying few drops of water in his beak to throw them on the fire. An armadillo annoyed by this pathetic agitation told him: "are you insane, hummingbird? Do you believe that you will truly extinguish the wildfire with these drops"? And the hummingbird to answer: "I do my fair share of the work".
Anzieu (1995).
Griffin (1998).
Gambrel and Cafaro (2010), p. 88.
COMEST (2014).
Pepper et al. (2009).
Lastovicka et al. (1999), p. 88.
Radjou et al. (2012), p. 4.
Gandhi (1935).
Voltaire (1918).
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Roiland, D. Frugality, A Positive Principle to Promote Sustainable Development. J Agric Environ Ethics 29, 571–585 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-016-9619-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-016-9619-6