7 - Aristotle’s Garden

Summary

The ancient Greeks subjected nature to human questioning. As personified in the natural observations of Aristotle and the other work of his Lyceum, they pointed the way to our natural science. They believed in the unity of man and nature. So, today, must we. In the modern view, nature is something separate and apart from man that is to be subordinated to human purpose. Nature, too, is still treated today as something without limit. Our science, and the technology it has produced, are behind the material bounty that is enjoyed by billions of people in the modern world and that is sought by billions more who hope to share in it by securing and embracing the benefits of technology. Continued technological innovation and dissemination is necessary for sustainable development. Yet there is a long list of potential risks if technology is not deployed properly. Moreover, we humans are increasingly shaped and made captive even of the technosphere we have created that increasingly pervades our biosphere. The choices we make about technology will do much to shape our future. In making those choices, we must reorient our relationship with nature. We must see the world and our place within it differently. We must see ourselves as part of one connected form of life that is connected to all the other forms of life, which are in turn all connected to the rest of nature on the imperiled Earth and are mutually dependent on all these planetary connections for perpetuating life.