What is nature? How do we - can we? - as humans define nature? Surely nature, nature itself and the concept or idea of nature, has changed over the course of the rise of man in the world; nature today is different from what it was 200 years ago, 1000 years ago, and in the future it will also change. But, how far can we - should we - go in defining what nature is, what we call nature?
Bill McKibben, in his work The End of Nature, investigates the possibility that humans have forever altered the fabric of nature, and nature, as we often think of it, in sublime terms of a wilderness beyond humans, is "extinct" (McKibben 718). McKibben proposes that humans have changed the world, changed nature physically, "... the meaning of the wind, the sun, the rain - of nature - has already changed. Yes, the wind still blows - but no longer from some other sphere some inhuman place" (718). This concept of nature relies on a definition of nature as something beyond humankind.
Emma Marris disagrees with McKibben, on his proposed definition of nature. She agrees that humans have altered nature, but she is opposed to calling nature extinct. Marris argues that nature is everywhere where life exists, and goes further to say that humans are a part of nature and life just as much as animals are, and our environment is no less nature that the environment of animals. Marris wants to redefine nature, she wants to alter our concept of nature, what nature is.
If we redefine nature, indeed, define nature, in new terms, what does that mean for our future? Would redefining what nature is erase what we as humans have done to alter it? Humans have been irresponsible with the world, both McKibben and Marris agree on that point, but is it also irresponsible to change our definition of nature, because we ourselves have changed the makeup of nature?
META POST:
ReplyDeleteThe theme of this week seems to be the question, “What is nature?” a hard question to be answered since both writers, Bill McKibben and Emma Marris, have polarizing answers to the question. Where does this leave us, though? Even the posters are left pondering this question. Why have we lost so much touch of nature? Even tallberrybee points out we build nature walks. Yes, build and nature in the same sentence. In case you needed proof that humans are disconnected with nature. I feel we are left with not knowing or understanding what nature even is due to our industrialization of nature. I feel a lot of people are conflicted on what nature even is.
Maybe, like OctopusWithoutAFather, we can learn to look out our windows and just enjoy the beauty of nature again?