Historical Roots: The cultural roots of our Ecological Crisis

Exam 1

What is the ecological connection

Symptoms- problems- causes

What are the three authors that offer their opinion?

Nash, Marsh, White Jr.

What historical way did Nash view Nature?

historical ways in which ppl viewed the west

What does Nash say about the wilderness?

Wilderness: alien to humanity, waged in struggle with civilization. “Wild-land” in the Judeo-Christian tradition

What did Nash say about Early Humanity?

They valued survival, feared what could not be understood or controlled

• They cleared forest, animal destruction, agriculture used as a tool

At first, what. does Nash say nature is?

An enemy

What did Nash say about Dualism?

A concept in Judeo-Christian tradition that separates humanity and nature, often viewing them in opposition

What does Nash believe about Lucretius?

Earth is possessed by mountains and forests of mild beasts. It is filled with restlessness

• Wilderness is associated with supernatural and mysterious

What does Nash say about the Old Testament?

Wilderness was cursed land

• The lack of water was a threat or punishment from the Old Testament Lord

• Not afraid to threaten Nature

What did Nash say was an established tradition?

There was a tradition of going into the wilderness for freedom and purification

• there is a purpose

• Christ was set into wilderness to be tempter by the Devil

• Missionaries judges success by clearing wild forests and sacred groves

What does Nash believe the solution to our crisis to be?

Have an appreciation of natures beaity checked by Christianity’s distance from worldly pleaures

• CF. Jainism, Buddhism, Humanity integrated as a part of nature

• Chinese Taoists postulated an infinate and benign force in the natural world

• Japanese Shino defied mountains, forests, storms, and torrents

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What did White say about nature?

There is a connection between science and technology (1600s)

• Before the 1950s, the primary view was that scientific knowledge equals technological power

Ex. Bacon was a natural philospher (scientist) and adopted a new idea

• Science is a way of grounding technology

What did White say about the Industrial Revolution?

Thermodynamics is where we first see a connection between technology and science

What did White say the ecological crisis is the product of?

The product of emerging, entirely novel, democratic nature

• Judeo-Christain context: Earth was created for the benefit of man

• Dualism: A concept in Judeo-Christian tradition that separates humanity and nature, often viewing them in opposition.

What does White say the goal is?

We need an alternative Christian view

• Not merely more science and technology

• St. Francis of Assisi: A Christian figure advocating for humility for humanity and respect for all of God's creations, including animals

• Democracy for all God’s creatures; the doctrine of the animal soul, thus they deserve respect

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Emphasize elements of Christianity that support ecology

What did Marsh believe centuries did before?

Centuries of labor expelled wild vegetation, fitting the earth or more generous production (Roman Empire)

• In the empire, the lands that surrounded the empire were flourished, bit now the lands are dried up and broken shallow seas and fertile lowlands are now unproductive and morasses

What does Marsh say the causes of decay are?

Partly geological, but also violence and hostile human forces, industrial arts, and rural husbandry

• Disregard of laws of nature: consequences of war, tryanny, and misrule

• Destruction of forests, drainage of lakes and marshes

• Disruption of plant and animal life, natural harmonies

What did Marsh say the solution was?

Humanity cannot fully develop their higher properties unless brute and unconscious nature to be combated

Ex. Cancer cannot, but we consciously can