Reinventing Nature?

by Soule, Michael E.; Lease, Gary

• ISBN13: 9781559633116
• ISBN10: 1559633115
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-01-01
• Publisher: Island Pr

Summary

How much of science is culturally constructed? How much depends on language and metaphor? How do our ideas about nature connect with reality? Can nature be "reinvented" through theme parks and malls, or through restoration?Reinventing Nature?is an interdisciplinary investigation of how perceptions and conceptions of nature affect both the individual experience and society's management of nature. Leading thinkers from a variety of fields -- philosophy, psychology, sociology, public policy, forestry, and others -- address the conflict between perception and reality of nature, each from a different perspective. The editors of the volume provide an insightful introductory chapter that places the book in the context of contemporary debates and a concluding chapter that brings together themes and draws conclusions from the dialogue.In addition to the editors, contributors include Albert Borgmann, David Graber, N. Katherine Hayles, Stephen R. Kellert, Gary P. Nabhan, Paul Shepard, and Donald Worster.

Table of Contents

A Note from the Editors
Preface
Introduction: Nature Under Fire	p. 3
Virtually Hunting Reality in the Forests of Simulacra	p. 17
The Nature of Reality and the Reality of Nature	p. 31
Searching for Common Ground	p. 47
Nature and the Disorder of History	p. 65
Cultural Parallax in Viewing North American Habitats	p. 87
Concepts of Nature East and West	p. 103
Resolute Biocentrism: The Dilemma of Wilderness in National Parks	p. 123
The Social Siege of Nature	p. 137
About the Contributors	p. 171
Index	p. 175
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