**1.4 Andean philosophical thought**

The Andean worldview is cosmocentric; the human being submits to the order of the cosmos expressed in nature and society and, therefore, belongs to Mother Earth (Pachamama). Knowledge, based on the concrete experiences of the people, within specific spatiotemporal parameters of being (that in which the different objects coincide and in which, in turn, they are distinguished) and its essence are expressed in the ritualisation of life as a form of relationship with natural and cosmic or spiritual human communities, which defend the hermeneutic subjectivity to understand the depths of life, in which its celebration (way of being and living), symbols, and stories are elements of socialisation.

Consolidation and evolution of consciousness are acquired by living the rituality of life with daily gestures of reciprocity with Mother Earth. Celebrations, as forms of interpretation of reality, promote a complementary, balanced, consensual relationship with full respect for the identity of the other (one and one-all). Each individual lives in unity with nature, the cosmos, and the totality of reality to achieve well-being, individual, and collective realisation of all the elements of life.

The learning method of the Andean communities is experiential, conscious, and experience-based. At the same time, the transmission of knowledge is oral and symbolic, and its valuation is carried out by the elderly. In addition, emotionality, feeling, and subjectivity are recognised in cyclical space-time under solidarity, redistribution, and reciprocity. On the other hand, spirituality is expressed in the way of living personally and with nature in which the application of the principles of relationality, correspondence, complementarity, and reciprocity is advocated, which is based on a conception of space-time.

The Pachamama, according to Andean thought, is everything in which man is and what is in his environment, above and below him. That is, where everything that exists, material and spiritual, occurs. Humans belong to it, and therefore, no one can appropriate it. It is separated into Pacha and mama [23]. The Pacha refers to the unity of space-time. In this sense, it is vibrational energy in which infinite energies-matter flow in all directions, in nonlinear or spherical-pyramidal movements, simultaneously concentric and eccentric, contractive and expansive, and compact and non-compact, which give the illusion of having a spiral-circumferential shape. There is no top, and there is no bottom, there is no right, there is no left, and there is no centre or periphery. Thus, the Pacha is concentrated with all its power on each human being, bacteria, star, mountain, or drop of water, so that each thing is a whole [24, 25]. According to Pacari [26], the mama is the Mother Earth or "allpa-mama," which wraps in its womb the seeds and, after specific processes, constitutes the food of living beings. It must be cared for, respected, and equally nourished. During this relationship with the "allpa-mama," when the harvests are produced, the indigenous peoples sing their songs known as the "Jahuai-jahuai," and rituals of gratitude are prepared. They toast with it by watering the land with "chicha" (fermented corn drink) and food (challaco), which is nothing more than sharing the commitment to continue generating life.

#### **1.5 Complementary duality**

Complementary duality states that nothing exists without its complementary opposite or pair. On the one hand, the cosmic force of Pachatata (father cosmos-masculine energy or cosmic force, above) and the telluric force of Pachamama (mother earth-feminine energy or telluric force below) are interrelated through reciprocity and complementarity so that everything remains in a complementary relationship and perfect balance [27]. Indigenous knowledge has a multidimensional worldview. It considers the existence of other planes, such as the world of the dead or non-visible beings of nature accessed through sacred plants. In the personal sphere, the indivisible world refers to the interior of the human being, where emotions and thoughts originate and are then reflected in the external world.

The "chakana," a bridge of transition between the world above and the one below, contains and synthesises the conceptual keys of thought, its philosophical principles, and the vision of balance and harmony in the relationships between human beings and nature and the universe. Estermann [28] states that the "chakana" bridges between the human and the divine, the living and the inert, the feminine and the masculine, and the past and the future. Man's holistic, relational harmony with the mythical living nature, which has a humanitarian, non-discriminatory reason, is explained in the living experiences of rituals and the development of the agricultural, medicinal, and other cycles. The researcher concludes that if the Andean cross did not exist, the world would be in complete disorder, and reality would be totally dislocated [29]. Rituality constitutes an element through which man is linked with the tutelary

*Reconstruction of Ethics: Nature as a Subject of Rights DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112336*

spirits and "Apus" (mountain spirits), propitiators of the "Sumak Kawsay (good life or life in harmony)."

All beings of nature are invested with energy, that is, the "samai." Consequently, they have life, enjoy a family, and have joys and sorrows, just like humans [26]. Nature maintains communication with human societies. Thus, peoples recognise what can be done or not. They know the risks and changes; they hold a series of rituals and restrictions that respond to the knowledge of the natural cycles of other species and the understanding of natural laws. In addition, nature is the space for celebrating life with a series of guardian beings known as "owners" who, in the form of spirits, ensure the good use of their protectors. The relationship with the owners is mediated by the "shamans," who are responsible for negotiating the use of resources [30]. According to Aguirre Palma, water is considered the germ, lactation, and regeneration of man [31]. In addition, it has a sacred value on which the success of the agricultural cycle and life itself depends. For this reason, in the dry season, the community members practice rituals of requesting rain. The essence of sumak kawsay is expressed in the centre of the chakana as the meeting place of complementary, corresponding, proportional, and reciprocal energies linked to life as a whole [32].
