The Role of Romanticism and Transcendental Philosophy in Shaping Lithuanian Environmental Thought

Abstract

This article analyzes the evolution of environmental thought in Lithuania from the collision between Enlightenment and Romanticism to the first half of the 20th century, outlining a shift in the dominant conceptual approach to Nature. It shows how a significant part of the philosophical field gradually shifted from Cartesian dualism to Romantic attempts at moving towards monism, which led to the emergence of early ecological consciousness. By focusing on key Lithuanian figures in environmental thought—philosophers Vydūnas (real name: Vilhelmas Storosta, 1868–1953) and Vincas Vyčinas (1918–1996), along with the renowned biologist Tadas Ivanauskas (1882–1970)—the study examines how Lithuanians engaged with competing visions of humanity’s relationship with nature. The analysis begins with Lithuania’s encounter with the Cartesian version of rationalist Enlightenment, which is explored through the influence of René Descartes. It is shown that the Cartesian approach manifested through the devaluation of symbolic reasoning and wilderness in favor of controlled, utilitarian landscapes. The article then highlights the Romantic reaction to this approach, which reenchanted nature through emotional and mystical connections, as seen in the rehabilitation of the Lithuanian “bear-boy” myth and in the transcendentalist inspired conservation efforts of Ivanauskas. Another important part of this article is devoted to the study of the works of the first Lithuanian environmental philosophers—Vydūnas and Vyčinas. It is shown that Vydūnas’ environmental thought and his Romantic vision of nature laid the first basis for biocentric ethics in Lithuania. Meanwhile, Vyčinas’ ecocentric philosophy is analyzed as an attempt to advance this tradition to a stricter ecocentric perspective, positing nature as sacred and intrinsically valuable. Methodologically, the article combines the history of ideas and hermeneutics, situating Lithuanian thought within broader European and transcontinental dialogues, including Rousseau’s idealism and American transcendentalism. The study argues that Lithuanian environmental philosophy developed by combining a critique of Enlightenment instrumentalism, a Romantic re-enchantment of nature, and an ethical turn toward interspecies responsibility.