Abstract

Culture is not the only thing that is passed on from one generation to the next and changed in the process. Nature is also a heritage that each generation can use and shape and that is passed on from generation to generation. In the Anthropocene, a clear distinction between nature and culture is hardly possible. At present, there is almost no area of nature that is not influenced by humans. Many of these influences are destructive. They have changed nature in such a way that life on the planet is endangered. In his own interest, therefore, the human being is striving to correct this situation. The common heritage of nature and culture has its origins in the past and is distinguished by its significance for the present and the future. It has a cross-generational and cross-cultural significance for individuals and communities. Humanity has become a telluric power. Therefore, it has a responsibility for its actions and the destiny of the planet. This responsibility raises complex ethical issues in which difficult trade-offs and clear choices must be made. There is rightly talk of global ethical responsibility. This includes dealing with values such as peace, non-violence, human dignity, freedom, justice, and sustainability. In the Anthropocene, the validity of these values must be extended so that it also determines the actions of humans towards other living beings. Climate and plant life also require difficult trade-offs and decisions. We are all dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, i.e. our possibilities for life and development are based on the actions of previous generations. Each generation has a responsibility to understand, shape, and make fruitful for future generations the natural and cultural heritage and their mutual entanglements (Resina, J. R., & Wulf, C. (Eds.). Repetition, recurrence, returns: How cultural renewal works. Lexington Books, Roman & Littlefield, 2019; Gebauer, G., & Wulf, C. (1995). Mimesis. Culture, Art, Society. University of California Press).