[-empyre-] What?
wwfisher at charter.net
wwfisher at charter.net
Tue May 20 06:28:35 EST 2008
Main Entry:
na·ture
Pronunciation:
\ˈnā-chər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin natura, from natus, past participle of nasci to be born — more at nation
Date: 14th century
1 a: the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing : essence b: disposition, temperament
2 a: a creative and controlling force in the universe b: an inner force or the sum of such forces in an individual
3: a kind or class usually distinguished by fundamental or essential characteristics <documents of a confidential nature> <acts of a ceremonial nature>
4: the physical constitution or drives of an organism; especially : an excretory organ or function —used in phrases like the call of nature
5: a spontaneous attitude (as of generosity)
6: the external world in its entirety
Basic constitution, the drives of an organism, an excretory function, the external world in its entirety. Looking at these definitions, isn't it nature that has created napalm, the atomic bomb, waterboarding, a bullet-riddled Koran? This world is as it must be, for this is what there is. The way a male house cat will slaughter a litter of kittens to hasten the female into heat. We are no different, unless it is in our ability to rationalize the violence and madness to hasten profitability and the heat of dominance (written "freedom" and "democracy" and "security").
Thank you for this discussion,
bf
<http://billfisher.dreamhost.com/nohate.html>
---- sdv at krokodile.co.uk wrote:
> H.W. /all
>
> Actually I'd suggest that a little reading of Michel Serres stands as a good corrective to this false differentiation of humanity and nature. There is no current struggle between humanity and nature, this essentially caretesian struggle ended some decades ago and as Serres points out we humans are are accountable and responsible for nature.
>
> It is as Serres points out far to late to continue to imagine that nature wins, when we are responsible for the biggest extinction event since the dinosaurs were wiped out.
>
> Really we should assume not that we will become extinct but rather ask what we need to do to stop the mass extinction event.
>
> s
> >Carla quoted Jacoby:
> >
> >---------------------------------------------
> >Art² has no importance; it is
> >life that counts. Art is the history of the years to come. It is the
> >creation of the most gigantic collective work in history: the conquest
> > of the earth, the conquest of freedom by and for all men.
> >
> >1963 Mensaje en el Di Tella, Roberto Jacoby
> >---------------------------------------------
> >
> >Conquest of the Earth, eh? Like any conquest, it shows a complete and
> >dismissive disregard for the conquered. And in the Great War between
> >"Man" and "Nature" I can assure you all that "Nature" cares even less
> >about "Man" than "Man" does of "Nature", and in the great struggle
> >between "Man" and "Nature":
> >
> >"NATURE" WINS EVERY TIME. NO EXCEPTIONS.
> >
> >If the conquest of nature is the price we pay for Art, then I humbly
> >suggest we abandon Art before Nature abandons us.
> >
> >That quote by Jacoby is one of the most offensive and arrogant bits of
> >errant ego-centric suicidal idiocy I have read in a very long time.
> >But, hey - Better living through chemistry!
> >
> >As humanity stands at the precipice of extinction, sesshu in LA typed:
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------
> >imagination contends with illusion and barks, disconsolate squeak.
> >body parts, you name it, they invented tags and codes: states.
> >sneeze all you want to, pointed verbs sticking out of every pore.
> >agriculture in california exacerbates a green edge on water-use.
> >i saw something the other day, it was a woman on her cellphone.
> >---------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Good move, butch, let me know how that works out for you.
> >
> >Alliette? Christina? I'm sure you all have something sensible to say
> >about all this...
> >
> >HW
> >_______________________________________________
> >empyre forum
> >empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> >http://www.subtle.net/empyre
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