Writing Assignment #5 – Andrew Mitchell

In the second chapter of Communicating Nature Corbett categorizes human’s views of nature and the environment based on their own interactions with it. She states that there are two polar sides, anthropocentric and ecocentric views, but reveals that there are many positions in-between that many people find suitable. These categories more importantly define the place that humans as a species take in relation to the rest of the animal kingdom, and all other living things in the world.

 

Reflection on Chapter 2:

After reading and learning about the spectrum of environmental philosophies Corbett analyzes in the chapter it has become much easier for me to see just how difficult it is for humans to come to an agreement about ecological issues of the current day. Although each person may not apply themselves to one philosophy distinctly, we all have our own ideas for how humans should interact with and “manipulate” the environment. Certainly not everyone will want to radically alter societal structures and reduce the dominance of humans in relation to the rest of the animal kingdom. So what is a proper balance? Are we not to believe that were another species presented with the chance they would not wish to pursue their dominance and evolution? After pondering the overall purpose of humans on earth and our pursuit of ascendancy in whatever aspect you want to call it, we must decide what actions are truly needed so that we can reduce our impact on the environment. Because whether or not we want to believe it we are impacting our world more negatively each day.