The “Nature” of ‘Nature’: The concept of nature and its complexity in a Western cultural and ethical context

Nielsen, Lisbeth Witthøfft

doi:10.1080/11287462.2004.10800840

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…We also interpret these data as showing an integrated bioethic with overlapping interests, values and attributes, e.g., between security, economic and environmental concerns, as an empirical demonstration (or manifestation) of what Neilsen (2004) has suggested is a Western method of compartmentalizing nature. Neilsen's thesis is that modem-developed Western cultures have created a way of placing the various perspectives about human and non-human natures into boxes.…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Despite converging research on what ecopsychologists would hope is the development and maintenance of ecologically friendly attitudes and behaviors, none have provided a clear explanation for what specifically motivates an individual to be truly an environmentalist and conservationist. In this present study, we chose to confront this problem empirically by asking people for evidence that their environmental ethic might ultimately be motivated by at least two divergent properties (Neilsen 2004).…”

Section: Background and Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What Kind of People Call Themselves Environmentalists?

2007

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What Kind of People Call Themselves Environmentalists?Many studies have shown that environmentalist attitudes are increasingly prominent both domestically and internationally, although they often vary in depth and commitment. However, consumption studies and the rate of depletion and pollution of natural resources have shown even more clearly that detrimental human activity, per capita, is still rising. These observations contradict each other, resulting in a disparity between values/attitudes and consumptive behavior. We argue that this condition cannot be rationalized away with simplistic explanations followed by a call for better education, shifts in morality, changes in consciousness, or new laws, policies and other forms of social control. Thus, the purpose of our study was to find out why the disparity between positive (green) values and negative (consumptive-exploitative) behavior exists in the majority of our sampled population. 1047 participants completed a 2-part survey that included both demographic variables and value/attitude test items. Our analysis isolated 4 main Factors; 3 were relevant to the goals of the study. These three Factors captured aspects of (I) political correctness, (2) a deep-ecology mindset, and (3) a politically conservative-religious value system best characterized as antithesis of factor 2.

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Section: Conclusion and Future Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Background and Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Kind of People Call Themselves Environmentalists?

2007

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“…In this regard, Nielsen (2004) conveniently remarked that the idea of nature is not reducible to an array of simple concepts, as it was elaborated and re-elaborated along an extended timespan of historical and philosophical traditions [18]. In addition, the author reaffirms that the concept of nature cannot be analyzed apart from its cultural context.…”

Section: Nature In Modern Western Thoughtmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Natural World in Western Thought

Jarwar,

Dumontet,

Pasquale

2024

Challenges

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The Western approach to the natural world, considering “nature” as an object of scientific scrutiny and of exploitation for economic purposes, results in a separateness and subsequent alienation from nature. The overarching aim of this paper is to emphasize the limitations and consequences of this approach, including how nature is perceived, the value attributed to nature, and the substantial denial of cultural contributions from non-Western philosophical and scientific backgrounds. We also consider the Western attempt at balancing industrial and technological endeavors, aimed at preserving ecological equilibria. In this framework, we argue that the current ever-increasing concern about sustainability cannot be decoupled from the perception of nature and natural values, whether material, aesthetic, or spiritual. Therefore, modern sustainability challenges, mainly attributable to Western overexploitation of nature and natural resources, need to be considered in the context of the limited Western paradigms, which often leave the very definition of nature unanswered. We argue that efforts to ease the anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems, leading to their degradation, cannot be uniquely bounded by Western science and its technological appendices.

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“…Perception of nature. Individuals' perception of nature can be considered a highly complex phenomenon influenced by a range of sensorial (e.g., sight and smell) and nonsensorial components, such as cultural beliefs of nature (Storch, 2011), their personal experiences related to nature (Broderick, 2007), and moral and ethical principles guiding their perceptions (Nielsen, 2004), among others. Very importantly, people's perception of nature has also been related to the development of cognitive functions such as learning (Hyun, 2005) and memory (Taylor, 2008) because it triggers the development of strong observational skills (Johnston, 2009).…”

Section: Eaw In the Ecs-hnrmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emotional and Cognitive Scale of the Human–Nature Relationship (ECS-HNR)

et al. 2021

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A bidimensional (cognitive–emotional) novel survey, the Emotional and Cognitive Scale of the Human–Nature Relationship (ECS-HNR), was designed and validated to measure Ecological Awareness (EAW) and Ecological Affectiveness (EAF) as vital aspects of the human–nature relationship. Data were collected in Chile between July and October 2019 from 474 participants ranging between 6 and 85 years old, using the snowball sampling technique. To examine the properties of the ECS-HNR we analyzed the results in terms of its content validity, reliability, factor structure, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The ECS-HNR comprises 24 items divided into two subscales with three subscales each (EAF: Empathy, Enjoyment, and Connectedness; EAW: Understanding, Appreciation, and Perception). The results demonstrated that the ECS-HNR is a reliable instrument, as items (the two scales and their subscales) exhibited an acceptable internal consistency. Our findings demonstrate that the ECS-HNR allows the integration of both dimensions of the human–nature relationship and is appropriate to evaluate attitudes and feelings toward nature.

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The “Nature” of ‘Nature’: The concept of nature and its complexity in a Western cultural and ethical context

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

What Kind of People Call Themselves Environmentalists?

What Kind of People Call Themselves Environmentalists?

The Natural World in Western Thought

The Emotional and Cognitive Scale of the Human–Nature Relationship (ECS-HNR)

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