Climate change context in the Herder’s philosophy of history

ENThe reflection of climatic phenomena in the philosophy of German Romanticism arises from the aesthetic reception of natural phenomena. In turn, this reception is transformed into a reflection on different cultural phenomena. This is precisely what happened in Herder’s philosophy of history. Having begun to explore the aspects of different civilizations and the cultures that compose them, the thinker noticed the influence of natural processes, namely climatic phenomena, on the way of life of different peoples and its interpretation in the art symbols of specific cultures. The author of the article explores some philosophical aspects of climate change and human nature. He draws on the ideas of the German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder. Herder’s position on this subject is quite debatable. On the one hand, he advocates for the inherent value of both nature and humanity. On the other hand, he maintains a concept of progress that prioritizes humanity. Additionally, his philosophical viewpoint can be seen as Eurocentric. He suggests that regions with more established philosophical and linguistic traditions associated with the “Old World” have superior climates and more attractive people. This implies that countries lacking famous thinkers or significant ideas are characterized by harsher climate. Keywords: Herder, philosophy of history, climate, climate change, nature, humanity.