Global Challenges of Earth Protection and Philosophic Foundation of Cherokee Indian Religion: the 19th Century American Transcendentalism and Georgian “Gialove” in Poetry

Abstract

Environmental issues now present a greater challenge for the global society than ever
and demand better cooperation among nations around the world to save the planet and
humans from inevitable disaster which may be caused by environmental degradation.
Air and water pollution, depletion of soil, loss of biodiversity, extinction of many species
are the result of inhuman and irrational attitudes towards the earth and the gifts of nature.
Civilization means more people demanding higher standards of living which has
direct disastrous impacts on world ecosystems because it stimulates exploitation of
renewable resources, such as fresh water, forests, and fertile topsoil.
This article ecological problems caused by the brutal consumption of natural resources
and the attempt of international community to protect the earth; also it argues that many
ancient civilizations, and among them aboriginal Cherokee people, worshiped universal
spirit of nature and tried to maintain balance with nature. Based on the analysis of
famous essay Nature by the 19th century American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo
Emerson and the short stories by Georgian poet and writer Vazha Pshavela, the article
reveals the authors’ philosophy of nature interpreted as a Universal being.
The central idea of the paper is that the most important for mankind is to restore “wholeness”
with nature and save it from the flaws and distractions imposed by “civilized society”
in the post-industrial era. “Gialove” - is an Earth-affection philosophy, which was
brilliantly demonstrated in Vazha’s poetry and stories.