Antropologia
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Abstrato

The Contribution of the Sacred in Traditional African Societies to Environmental Ethics

Bah Jean-Pierre Kouakou

The theme of “religion and ecology” comes within the scope of the problematic of the impact of religious beliefs on attitudes towards the environment. In this context, this study aims to show the contribution of cosmic sacred elements of flora and fauna to environmental ethics. Indeed, in the African cosmogony, and especially in traditional Ivorian societies, the spiritual life is linked to visible and invisible beings in nature. This link between man and nature is maintained by the sacred which occupies a prominent place in these societies. It governs the individual and collective life through various functions of security, health or socio cultural kinds. The fear of the sacred is shown by people’s respect for individual and community taboos or, by default, punishments. That promotes the conservation and protection of biodiversity. This leads to the idea that cultural and religious practices in traditional African societies have ecological features.