Eco-Phenomenology: Back to the Earth Itself

Eco-Phenomenology: An Introduction

Eco-Phenomenology An Introduction CHARLES S. BROWN AND TED TOADVINE In one of the oldest stories in the history of philosophy, a witty Thracian maid was said to have mocked Thales as he fell into a hole while watching the sky. Later we learn that Thales, through his sky watching, foresaw a bountiful olive harvest, rented the presses while the prices were cheap, and sold access to the presses for a handsome profit. According to Aristotle , who recounts this tale, Thales intended to demonstrate that philosophers can use their wisdom for practical affairs when they wish. But this demonstration of the practical application of philosophy, as impressive as it is, has not greatly enhanced the reputations of philosophers as practical problem solvers. Today, faced with serious environmental concerns, both local and global, as well as with the growing realization that our current mode of life as humans on this planet is not sustainable, we look to science and technology for solutions. Biologists, earth scientists, and meteorologists offer us increasingly technical solutions to our problems. But is there, perhaps, a role for philosophy to play in responding to our current problems? Although a few voices can be heard calling for philosophical examination of our predicament, they are a small minority. For the most part, we are living through a massive cultural propaganda exercise dedicated to the task of convincing ourselves that the dominant cultural forces have identified the problem and are working steadily toward appropriate solutions . While we may not yet be walking the green walk, we are well on our way to mastering the green talk. Apart from a few hardened reactionary voices, the entire American mainstream from Disney to the White ix House now sings a green song. Environmental slogans that were heard only among a dedicated core of “treehuggers” a generation ago have become today’s accepted clichés. Political spin doctors and corporate public relations departments, having mastered the art of “green speak,” reassure us that our environmental concerns, as real as they are, are being handled attentively. We may continue to drive our SUV’s to fast-food franchises in support of the global beef market without any need for alarm or personal sacrifice. Although the world rarely looks to them for help in analyzing such practical matters, philosophers have nevertheless been busy reevaluating our relation with nature and its underlying assumptions. Even in the ivory-tower discipline of academic philosophy, environmental ethics has become a legitimate topic of study. Treated at best as a fringe interest only a generation ago, the philosophical examination of the environment is gaining respect as a desirable area of academic teaching and research. But while philosophers have begun to talk among themselves about the current state of nature, difficulties persist in establishing serious dialogue with other academic disciplines, much less with the public outside the academy. Philosophy has yet to find an effective voice in our struggle with the environmental crisis or a clear role in our quest for a sustainable human presence on the earth. If philosophy does have a contribution to make in today’s practical decision making, this contribution will likely begin with steady and insightful clarification of our ethical and metaphysical assumptions about ourselves and the world around us. These basic assumptions— about the relation between individual and society, human nature, the nature of nature, and the nature of the Good—underlie all of our current behavior, both individually and culturally. But the assumptions that have guided our past behavior reveal their limitations as we think about, imagine, and live through the events and consequences of what we call the environmental crisis. When confronted with the consequences of our actions—mass extinctions, climate change, global pollution, dwindling resources—we inevitably experience a moral unease over what has been done, what we have done, to nature. We cannot help but ask about the root of this deep-seated moral reaction, and the changes it calls for in our current practices. To answer these questions, we need the help of philosophy. The suggestion that philosophy should play a role in reorienting our relation with the natural world will no doubt come as a surprise to many. It may be even more surprising that the present volume is dedicated to the role phenomenology can play in developing this new relation with nature, given its reputation as a highly abstract theoretical inquiry into “consciousness” or “being.” In fact, one of the basic themes of the present x Brown and Toadvine...