Summary:
The beginning of the exert offers an explanation of how humans came to the idea that they were the dominant species and had the right to act as such. Said mindset was a monumental component in the shift of human-ecological relations.
A key indicator of technological advancement is in farming, when humans change their relationship with the land as they farm, cascading effect ensues, "Man's relation to the soil was profoundly changed. Formerly man had been part of nature; now he was the exploiter of nature." (pg. 39) Another factor in human interactions with nature is religion, no matter what culture you are from, religion plays a role on a person's ideals and interactions with nature. "What we do about ecology depends on our ideas of the man-nature relationship." (pg. 40)
The author claims that because our ecological problems are so deeply rooted in Christian beliefs, the only way to solve our problems is to reject Christianity.
Critical Thinking:
1) What is the purpose of nature?
According to Lynn White, nature is viewed as a tool for man to rule over and to serve his needs, based on a Christian mindset.
No comments:
Post a Comment