Today’s world, meaning the 21st century, has changed significantly since the time of the early 18th century. Yet, some ideals still hold value and importance when in reference to how people should live. This essay will explore how Alexander Pope would interpret the actions and choices of people from the 21st century if he were still alive. The pieces of work that will be critiqued by the perceptions of Pope are two books “The Sixth Extinction” and Los Angeles against The Mountains. The piece of work that I will be using to support Pope’s interpretations and perceptions is “Essay on Man”, which is written by Alexander Pope. The general message from Pope in “Essay on Man” is that God has created everything to its perfection, and that the limits …show more content…
However, it is this deep conservatism that brings a dilemma as to how Pope would react the the content in “The Sixth Extinction” because this piece of literature sets out to make awareness of a mass extinction that is being created by people which theoretically, would be supported by Pope. Yet, he could also be disapproving since the end of the book sets forth to prevent an extinction, which in a sense is trying to control nature. For example, in “The Sixth Extinction” Kolbert says “There are all sorts of seemingly disparate reasons that species are disappearing. But trace the process far enough and inevitably you are led to the same culprit: ‘one weedy species’.” (Kolbert 18). The weedy species that Kolbert is referring to is the human race, and it is this species that is causing harm to other species. “Either way, the etiology is the same, without being located by someone onto a boat or a plane, it would have been impossible for a frog carrying Bd to get from Africa to Australia …” (18). The author goes further to depict the reason why some of these animal extinctions occur, but the most interesting in my opinion is when she discusses how human beings interact with the habitats of certain animals. “The slice of the habitat they’ve been marooned on is inadequate. A big cat that requires a range of forty squares miles isn’t likely to make it for long in an area of only twenty square miles” (180). With the “weedy species” cutting away and sectioning of parts of animal’s habitats, it forces them to live with restrictions and limitation. Smaller ranges to live in, less food, and cramped populations. All these problem eventually attribute to death because these animals can’t move at the same pace as humans do, to adjust to the “renewed” habitat. This problem clearly would be disapproved by Alexander Pope. The most
Imagine a world where one extinct animal causes chaos. It eats all the plants and invades other animals territory. Animals are dropping like flies due to one extinct, no longer existing, animal being brought into the world once again this time by humans. Humans also can be the cause of extinction hunting, destroying an animal's home, pollution, and introduction of alien species are just a few ways that we can cause extinction of an animal. Extinction can also occur naturally when disease is spread, or an invasive species takes over. I believe that we should not bring back extinct creatures for three distinct reasons. De- extinction could hinder conservation efforts,de-extinction attempts have failed, and finally bringing back extinct
Instructions: Answer the following questions regarding your reading. Be as brief as possible but as detailed as needed to show me your understanding of the book and the question. Type your answers below each question and leave with me after final exam. Late submissions will be penalized 25% per day.
At some point in time we have all wondered what it means to human, and what we are supposed to do with our lives. Throughout the centuries, there have been gradual changes in what it means to be human. Through Pico della Mirandola we will how man became the measure and took the place of God, through Charles Darwin we will see how nature and science began to take the place of man, and through the art of Friedrich we can visually see all of these changes.
Being informed about what is going on around the world, for example how the sixth mass extinction has and is occurring, is exactly what Elizabeth Kolbert teaches in the book The Sixth Extinction. I can honestly say that I did not know that there were all these mechanisms of extinction going on. The mechanisms that Kolbert addresses in this book are invasive species, catastrophe, human overexploitation of resources, ocean acidification, and habitat fragmentation.
There have been five major mass extinction on earth triggered by a distinguishable event, but in The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Elizabeth Kolbert writes of the narrative of the sixth extinction caused directly by human impact. The book identifies the effects of human activity on how, over humans history on earth, the natural world has been affected. Every environmental impact stems into three basic groups of global problems to nature: Pollution, Habitat loss and Invasive Species. Kolbert explains that each impact can be traced back to one source, human industrial development. With each impact various types of life in the natural world are affected. Deforestation, urbanization, and sea level rise contribute to habitat loss worldwide. When humans began to travel they also brought invasive species and disease along with them; as boats only became bigger more and more invasive species travel. This reverse engineering of the planet species, brings new species that don’t have any natural predators, thus having an easier time driving native species out to endangerment or extinction. The different outcomes that come from human pollution is separated throughout the book, but the idea remains constant; with the development of human culture, pollution has drastically impacted a vast extent of species habitats and their environment.
From the seventeenth century to the late twentieth century there has been a change in society creating a modernist era which saw the ending of feudalism and the devotement of capitalism. (Hudson, 2003:3) This period saw changes in the way individuals lived their lives and viewed the world; there were political changes and systems of punishment. The changes stirred
In chapter three of The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert describes how the Great Auk went extinct. The Great Auk is considered “the original penguin.” Sadly, they became extinct in the 1800s. They were found in North Atlantic; were it is cold. The Great Auks were killed by poachers. The poachers killed them for food, feathers, and even used them to keep their fires stoked to keep them warm. “You take a kettle with you into which you put a Penguin or two, you kindle a fire under it, and this fire is absolutely made of the unfortunate Penguins themselves.” So the questions are: “How do animals, such as corals, survive in an ever-changing environment?” and “How do humans play a role in increasing or causing
In chapter 11 of The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert finds herself at the Cincinnati Zoo where she is told by Dr. Terri Roth that the Sumatran rhinos are going extinct. This also explains Dr. Roth’s numerous attempts to inseminate Suci, a Sumatran rhinoceros, artificially, but ultimately fails. Kolbert proceeds to talk about the history of the Sumatran rhinoceros, which were very common in the Himalayas, Borneo, and Sumatra. Apparently, a small number of rhinos were sent to American zoos in hopes of reproducing in captivity. Unfortunately, the animals’ diet consisted dry hay, when—contrary to popular belief--green leaves are a staple in the rhinos’ nutrition.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History details the continued loss of biodiversity that has occurred since the rise of mankind. Elizabeth Kolbert claims that we are now in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, and that, if precautionary measures are not taken, the loss of biodiversity would be catastrophic. Chapter one begins by describing the golden frogs in the town of El Valle de Antón, and how they were beginning to disappear. The frogs disappeared due to a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. This fungus has spread around the world at a lightning-quick rate, killing all sorts of amphibious organisms at an unnatural rate. The cause of the rapid spreading of the fungus has been theorized to be due to humans inadvertently spreading
The Sixth Extinction is a chapter found in a book titled, “The Sixth Extinction An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert”. This chapter addresses extinction or the termination of a group. The story takes place in The Panamanian town of El Valle de Anton. The story focuses on the toxic species called the golden frog. For some unknown reason(s), the golden frogs began to disappear.
Panamanian golden frogs, the American mastodon, Neanderthals, coral reefs, and auks -- what do they have in common? They are all mentioned in Elizabeth Kolbert’s award-winning book, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. In The Sixth Extinction, Kolbert relates the findings of her investigations into several extinctions recently reported, connecting them to several human activities such as habitat fragmentation and introducing nonnative and invasive species, while also giving the readers various history lessons. She tells about her adventures in Panama saving endangered frogs, visiting the island of the last two great auks known to man in Iceland, and even examining the fossilized teeth of an American mastodon in the French National Museum of Natural History.
The non-fiction book that I decided to read was, “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” by Elizabeth Kolbert. What led me to picking this book was that it seemed the most interesting out of all of the non-fiction book selections. Since I already knew most of the reasons why animals went extinct, this book didn’t have an impact me. But when I previously learned about animals extinction, I was impacted because it let me know what happened to dead species species. Examples of this could include learning about the dinosaurs when I was younger or learning about climate change and hunting when I was in middle school.
He indicates that in our attempt to gain more knowledge and wisdom that we press beyond the limits, and that some things mankind is not able to know. Pope suggest to the reader to submit to the laws of nature, and do not think or act beyond mankind. He has the concept that there is a divine order and grand scheme of things and to rest in the place that you are in. Pope states:
The formative years of the 1900’s, suffered from communism, fascism, and capitalism. The author of the Brave New World, Mr. Aldous Huxley lived in a social order in which he had been exposed to all three of these systems. In the society of the Brave New World, which is set 600 years into the future, individuality is not condoned and the special motto “Community, Identity, Stability” frames the structure of the Totalitarian Government.
Man is created in the image and likeness of God. The purpose of his existence is to reach his full potential, that being to live a life that is more human, more Christian a life that is similar to that of Christ's. Thus, our existence revolves upon loving and inculcating our knowledge in the minds of others. These Christian concepts is essential in Fr. De Torre's discussion of the perfectibility of man through education.