水從自古以來就被人類視為一種「資源」，因此，水的運用及其引發的危機，通常也都視同為一種經濟問題。目前，水資源政策開源、節流並重，且冀望藉由「水價管理」以解決水資源的困境。循此，本文就倫理關懷向度深入探討了水資源永續的議題，並指出，基於目前全球澇旱交替的事實，未來水資源政策取向應不受限於環境經濟的觀點，而當訴諸環境生態整體論的理念來解決水資源的永續問題。本文的基本問題是，各物種生活在同一個「環境」之中，水資源危機乃是所有物種都會面對的危機，而身為道德能動者的人類是否能解決水資源的危機？據此，本文採取Leopold「大地倫理」作為水資源永續的解題進路，而以大地倫理要求的超越經濟私利的「愛與尊重」理念，以解決水資源衍生的「公地悲劇」。扼要地說，本文證成了一個由個體論邁向整體論的典範轉移，而藉由像水一樣思考，提出了一種大地倫理脈絡依循的水資源永續之展望。 Since ancient times water has generally been seen as a resource and water use has mostly been taken as an economic issue. At present, water resources policy places emphasis on both the development and the saving of water, adopting water price as a regulating practice of water resources. This thesis discusses issues that involve water resources sustainability. Due to the fact of the intense frequency of global droughts of our time, the future water resources policy should not be limited by the vantage of environmental economics; instead, it should embrace an ecological environmental holism to deal with the problem of water resources sustainability. The argument of my thesis is based on the fact that all species are living in the same environment and the water crisis is the crisis all species are facing. As a moral agent, can human being save the environment that we share with all species? I adopt Aldo Leopold’s “Land Ethic” as an approach to solve the problem of water resources sustainability, embracing his view on love and respect that land ethic demands to go beyond the economic interests so as to overcome the Tragedy of the Commons. The argument of paradigm shift from individualism to holism can be demonstrated in my thesis. By thinking like water, I offer a distinct prospect regarding the water resources sustainability in the context of environment ethics.
