March J. 2005. Nuevos Fundamentos de Racionalidad Ambiental a partir del Análisis Epistemológico de la Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental. Cinta moebio 24: 265-287

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New foundations of environmental rationality from epistemologic analysis of environmental impact assessment

Juan Manuel March (juanmanuelmarch@mad.scientist.com) Doctor en Filosofía. Antropólogo. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca (Argentina)

Abstract

The determination of environmental impact constitutes a key step for the preservation of the environment and environmental control of the human activities. However, this tool is constituted ideologically by criteria of rationality of present post-industrial western society. This set of criteria (interlink) conforms epistemologic references of theory and methodology applied in the environmental studies. From "environment" notion to the methodologies applied for the determination of "environmental impact", they imply rationality knowledge culturally in sighted. The rationality to which is alluded to in this paper refers to used to arrive at an environmental theory that it under the assessments and environmental studies. All this joint of theory and methodologic instruments is based on epistemologic foundations group tie to an idea and representation of environment. In synthesis, next it will be discussed about rationality and general criteria that characterize Environmental Impact Assessment, their foundations and possibility of arriving at an alternative rationality.

Key words: environmental impact assessment, rationality knowledge, alternative rationality.