Are Humans A Part Of Nature Or Somehow Apart From It?

Humanities 1100

Are Humans a Part of Nature or Somehow Apart From It?

To think of Nature, you must first define it. I looked it up in an old set of encyclopedias my parents had in our basement. It said that the term "nature" has been used in various inconsistent senses, corresponding more or less to the different attitudes that thinkers adopted towards the material part of the world in relation to the rest. It then goes on about how different philosophers from the different eras defined it. From the Greeks to the Catholics, every culture has a definition of it. My definition of it is "Everything that makes up the planet, living and dead that is natural." It cannot be described as just one thing. It is everything.

Does this mean that man is part of nature? In the Introduction to Nature in Human Life, It talks about how man coexists with nature. It tells us how humans use nature for shelter, food, entertainment, and inspiration. With all of these things that we use nature for, are we still part of it?

In some ancient cultures, like the Pueblo Indians, they respected nature and all that she had to offer for them. It wasn't just nature to them. "The ancient Pueblo people called the earth the Mother Creator of all things in this world" (351). They used the sand and clay for their homes. They buried their dead in collapsed parts of these homes. They were thankful for rich crops that the seasons would bring them. The land was holy to them.

The Koyukon Eskimos shared some of the same traits of the Pueblo Indians. One of these was when they went hunting. They tried to use every last bit of the hunted animal. Nothing went to waste. To me, this shows a great relationship with nature. The Koyukon elders believed in the recycling of hunted animals. "It shows respect, returning animal bones to a clean, wild place instead of throwing them away with the trash or discarding them in a garbage dump" (362). The Koyukon and the Pueblo were a part of nature. They shared with it, and did not abuse its wealth.

What else do men use nature for? I said earlier that they use it for inspiration. There are a great many paintings in this world that capture nature at her finest. Not just paintings, but photographs as well. How would you describe the Grand Teton to a friend? Would you just say that they are big, or would you want to show them just how big they are? Write a poem on what you see and sent it to someone you care about. "My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky." What does that tell the reader? Is this man not happy, or what?

"Some keep the Sabbath going to church- I keep it, staying at home." With all that nature has to offer, some feel like it is as close to heaven as you can get. Why not? Nature has everything that anyone needs to survive happily, and it can do a beautiful job by providing protection from the harsh elements of the weather. But, that all depends on where you live. The desert wastelands don't seem that holy to me, nor would I want to live there. Isn't that where Las Vegas was built? A desert wasteland that reaches temperatures over 120 degrees in a summer, has very little rain fall over the year, and not a lot of animals to hunt either. Is Las Vegas considered nature? It's not natural by all means, but it was built from nature. Are the patrons inside enjoying the nature of the city, or are they apart of nature?

Would you consider Las Vegas or any other major city in the U.S. nature? Or would you consider it apart from nature? They still have weather that comes through them. You still have shelter, food, and water in them. Are you still living and being a part of nature?

Man is starting to get to the point of using up all of our natural resources. Our oil reserves are depleting, there is only so much iron ore in the world, and there are more and more animals going on to the endangered