ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the impact of Hans Jonas' future-directed and problem-oriented approach on the recent debate on sustainability. It shows that, and the way in which, Jonas regards 'ethics' and 'philosophy of nature' as twin sisters, or to be more precisely, that 'ethics becomes part of the philosophy of nature'. The chapter highlights some of the major objections against Jonas. It presents a critical and analytical reconstruction of the objections to Jonas' argument of 'responsibility for the future'. Jonas' public philosophy can therefore be regarded as an 'engaged philosophy', a term coined by Robert Frodeman in order to foster a reorienting of philosophy. Jonas discusses the technoscientific progress from pre-modern techne, which basically revolved around instruments, tools and methods, to modern science-based technology. Jonas' focuses on culturally significant underlying convictions, guiding metaphysics, implicit concepts of nature and attitudes is therefore not outmoded for those living today.
