HPSC20002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Anthropomorphism, Abstract And Concrete, Pastoralism
24 May 2018
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DAY 2: IDENTIFICATION OF NATURE
ANCIENT GREECE + ROME: NATURE, PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE
• Civilisations in the ancient world which bear a central importance to the modern world as we know it
o Regarded as starting points of Western civilisation
• Greece and Rome historically different civilisations – different historical perspectives on the relationship between them
• Roman Empire conquered Greece in 1468BCE – Greece became part of their empire
• Ancient Mediterranean: characterised by development of big cities, involving idea flows
o Political and cultural domination of cities – beginnings of concepts of rights, responsibilities and citizenship
• Nature seen as a central category in thinking about anything
Greeks
• Greek ideas about nature influential for modern meaning
• Different connotations of nature as:
Realm of Philosophy
• Ancient Greece famous for the invention of philosophy
o Yet not the only civilisation in which philosophy developed
• In Ancient Greece, 2 central developments within philosophy:
o Abstract Reasoning
o Reasoning for it’s own sake (tool to approach truth)
• Nature a central category of philosophical thought
• In philosophical debate, nature became an abstract entity, as well as
external nature
o Something ‘out there’, rather than in the human mind
Nature
• Idea of nature as perfect
• Present state of the world as corrupted by intervention
• Consequence: nature regarded as teleology – goals reinstating the
perfect ideals
• Natural order as a guideline for human agency
Romans
• Rationale for natural order – return to the perfect state
• Return to the Golden Age – Arcadian visions
• Ideas: Cyclical nature of nature implies return and output requires little
input
• Regeneration might work best if things are best left alone
Arcadian Landscapes and Wilderness
• Ancient world had an abundance of land that had not been cultivated
o Lands had important economic function to provide services (wood, hunting, fruit picking)
• Vision of pastoralism and harmony with nature
• Wasteland not associated with wilderness – as humans considered a part of nature
• Wilderness seen as ‘scary’ and as a place people wouldn’t go
o No idea of land beyond the civilised realm
CITIES
• Have changed people’s perspectives of nature, resulting in an impact on the natural environment
• Removed people from the land, removed the ability for them to interact with the environment – preconditioned and
limited their ideas about nature
• Have and continue to face environmental problems, especially involving sanitation
All-pervasive
• Nature as 'all that is', and what everything has, the natural way of the world
• Nature as creative power and as what has been created (Aristotle)
Perfection
• Greeks held that natural order was perfect - in and by itself (on the contrary, civilization was imperfect,
due to corruption)
• Governed by cosmic cycles that maintain day and not
• Nature represents a perfect order or the state the world should be in
Malleable or
Corruptible
(Aristotle)
• Perfection of nature is not maintained
• Nature can be altered and overcome by outside agents
• Aristotle: dichotomy between things happening according to nature and against nature
• Intervention into nature leads to degeneration
Others
Teleological, savage
Aristotle
• Earth was at the centre of the universe, as it could interact
with other elements, therefore a centre of corruption (and
universes’ rubbish dump)
• Believed there were 3 types of soul, chain of being from
lower to high:
o Vegetative Soul: nutrition, growth & reproduction
(plants)
o Sensitive Soul: sensation & movement (animals)
o Rational Soul: thought & reflection (humans)
• Believed slavery is not a violation of nature – slaves,
animals and women are subservient (the intention of nature)
Greek & Roman Gods
• Anthropomorphised
• Living in the natural world
• Not part of the natural world – can do different, proving Greek
philosophy assertion that things do what they do because of
their nature
• Constantly intervening with nature
Document Summary
Roman empire conquered greece in 1468bce greece became part of their empire. Ancient mediterranean: characterised by development of big cities, involving idea flows: political and cultural domination of cities beginnings of concepts of rights, responsibilities and citizenship. Nature seen as a central category in thinking about anything. Greeks: greek ideas about nature influential for modern meaning. Ancient greece famous for the invention of philosophy. Yet not the only civilisation in which philosophy developed. In ancient greece, 2 central developments within philosophy: abstract reasoning. Reasoning for it"s own sake (tool to approach truth) In philosophical debate, nature became an abstract entity, as well as external nature. Something out there", rather than in the human mind. Nature: consequence: nature regarded as teleology goals reinstating the. Present state of the world as corrupted by intervention perfect ideals. Natural order as a guideline for human agency. Rationale for natural order return to the perfect state. Return to the golden age arcadian visions.
