Climate Crisis Lecture 3

Question 1

3 main meanings of nature in the west

Answer 1

-essence or defining property of something
-a material realm untouched by human action
-entire living world, of which human species is just a small part
Ideas constantly circulating and being reproduced in art science or speech

Question 2

Early Affairs of Nature

Answer 2

enlightenment era substitution of nature of God, that other thing that moves the world, nature became a substitute for God, how do we understand things in universe, route of scientific tradition

Question 3

Political Realm

Answer 3

Thomas Hobbes, on what basis, if god is no longer foundation, can we define an order, how can we govern ourselves, opposition state of nature vs sovereignty, conditions of anarchy, if no one is overseeing affairs chaos, people are driven by power and self-interest, war against protestants and Catholics, in order to escape violent state and condition people had to make a pack with sovereign to protect themselves, peace and security, state is the monopoly on violence- nature is something chaotic and wild, one must avoid

Question 4

John Locke’s Critique of Hobbes

Answer 4

critique Hobbes, too tragic, ways which we can order ourselves through natural law, not naturally competitive but collaborative, something natural about our equality to each other, driven by psychology, how the brain works on its own, our brains are self-generating

Question 5

Marx

Answer 5

argues labour, we are driven by nature, we must attend to those (food, drink, reproduction, shelter) all guaranteed this, changing nature through human activity
Among all this a function of nature is produced, something we give in to or order and control
Is there a nature that is pristine prior to human nature