[lbo-talk] Reverence for nature

[Maria Gilmore]

Precisely as Joanna says.  And with the Old Testament is exactly the place
from whence this discussion sprang.  Perception of "nature" as being a realm
from which humans could distinguish themselves from, and dominate for that
matter, obviously existed for the people who wrote the Book of Genesis.
When I think "modernity" the Old Testament is not something that leaps to my
mind.

Maria

----- Original Message -----
From: "joanna bujes" <jbujes at covad.net>
To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 1:57 PM
Subject: [lbo-talk] Reverence for nature


> The issue was whether "reverence for nature" was modern. Both Maria and I
strongly objected. You are now raising the issue in another way by asking
whether the concept of a separable "nature" is not modern. Where does
"modern" start? I would say that the notion of a nature that is separable
from man and which man "governs" is at least as "modern" or "old" as the Old
Testament. Before monotheism, I don't know.
>
> It may be that those cultures who honor/revere nature do not refer to it
as a separable thing, but this does not diminish the terms they make with
their sustaining (and inseparable) environment. In our terms they do "revere
nature" -- which Chris argued was a modern fetish...
>
> Joanna