The Value of Nature

In Paul Taylor’s essay, “The Ethics for Respect for Nature,” he argues that… In this paper I will first describe Taylor’s concept of “respect for nature.” I will then explain the part this attitude plays in rationally grounding a biocentric outlook on environmental ethics. Lastly, I will present Rosalind Hursthouse’s criticism of Taylor’s view, and state how Taylor might respond to this criticism.

Nature has many elements to it that have symbolic meaning in diverse ways to every person. One of the many symbols of nature is the sun, which to many people it’s symbolic of power. When we see it, we notice that without the sun there would be no life on our planet. One young boy from Boston, Massachusetts, Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the most well-known writers for the symbolic meanings of nature and with that became an inspirational writer during his time. His ideas and writings helped shape the paths of other writers like Henry David Thoreau and Margaret Fuller. While writing, Emerson was using the theme of spirituality to re-imagine the divine as something large and visible, he accomplished this by writing an essay called “Nature”. This

In his essay entitled “Nature,” Ralph Waldo Emerson encourages his readers to look around, appreciate, and take nothing for granted. Emerson emphasizes the importance of removing oneself from all distractions, and suggests solitude as a way to truly connect with nature. We need to look at the landscape, and become a part of it. For nature allows one to focus, and become enlightened.

Throughout history, humans have been fascinated the inherent bond that exists between ourselves and Nature. During the eighteenth century, known also as “the Reformation” period, there was a push in European society towards science and reason being the epicenter of culture. During this time, Alexander Pope wrote the poem ‘Essay on Man’ which was intended to be an outline of perennial, universal truths. The emphasis was primarily on the nature of reason rather than Nature itself. After this time period came the Romantic period, lasting from 1785-1832. It was in 1818 that Mary Shelley wrote ‘Frankenstein’, also known as ‘The Modern Prometheus’, an imaginative tale about a monster created by man. The relationships between Nature and the characters are dynamic in that they change frequently. They appear, in many instances, to be a vehicle for expressing emotion. By examining and writing about the way humans interact with the Nature surrounding them, Pope and Shelley made it possible to analyze and highlight common relationships between humans and Nature during their lifetime; for Pope and his peers, it was more about reason and ___ (word for only coming to conclusions based on ur five senses), while during Shelley’s time period, people tended to have a more emotional relationship with Nature.

Many Romantic poets and artist sought solace and peace in nature; however, several recognized the power of nature and the natural world on man.

Emerson’s writing of Nature was a compilation of his sermons and writings and talked of his self discovery in the field of the wild outdoors. His ideas were based religiously and spoke somewhat on the creator. “We must trust the perfection of the creation so far, as to believe that whatever curiosity the order of things has awakened in our minds, the order of things can satisfy.”(Nature 3.1) God, in Emerson’s writings, is the perfect creator and made no mistakes in the formation of the earth we live in. The questions we have will be answered by the natural order of things. There is always an answer that relates directly to the way we already know this world. “In this way, Emerson opens his essays with a sweeping dismissal of those tools of insight based on the past, and a demand to understand the world - that is, God and nature(two sides of the same coin for him) - instead through our own personal, direct relationship to and revelations about the world.”(Anderson) Nature is more than an idea to be protected in his stories, it is a function that has all the answers and writes the script of how we live. “As the title of his essay suggests, he grounds his approach to understanding the world in Nature, which

English Extension 1 Writing Portfolio Imagination and the emphasis on appreciation of nature are at the core of the Romantic Movement, originating in the late 18th century. These intrinsically linked aspects of an individual determine their ability to create and develop their connections with the natural world. This idea is prominent in John Keats poem, Ode to Autumn, where nature symbolically represents a shift in creative views and renewed perceptions. Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein also explores similar ideas, where nature becomes a source of solace for Victor Frankenstein, as a result of his transgression of the natural power of imagination. One’s own desire to connecting and embrace the natural world is also seen in Caspar David Friedrich’s

Nature is one of the fundamental aspects that contributed to the Romantic movement of the 19th-century. The reason for this strong connect between nature and romantics was due to the rejection of the Industrial Revolution that lead many people to leave the rural areas and move into the cities, separating them from nature. Nature created the individual and could not be quantifiable because of its grand beauty and purity. Therefore, it became the primary subject for romantic novels such as Marry Shelley book Frankenstein that exemplifies the ideology of romantic writing and the wholeness of nature along with Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden that acknowledges the simplicity of life in the wilderness.

The speaker of this poem is tired of listening about lectures on things of nature; it makes them feel morally ill. The speaker would rather go out and experience the phenomena of nature, because it is not scientific and statistic, but rather it is beautiful, imaginative, mystical, and intuitive. The true way to understand nature is not by fact filled lectures, but rather by experiencing the beauty of it hands on. It is the only way to get the fully immersed in the imperfect perfections of life.

The main concept which permeates the writing of Ralph Waldo Emerson is that “the fundamental context of our lives is nature” (Richardson, Jr., Emerson and Nature 97). Emerson presents his theory of nature and its relation to man in three essays spanning almost a decade: Nature (1836), “The Method of Nature” (1841) and “Nature” (1844). There are many common threads connecting these works. One of the most notable is Emerson’s belief in the interconnection between all things – between all natural phenomena as well as between nature and the soul. Also, there exists behind and beyond Nature a Spirit from which all things originate. It is the invisible which gives rise to the visible and embodies truth and

Poems are used to express a general idea or feeling about life and nature. One author, Walt Whitman,writes poems that generally express a positive view on living and the harmony of life. One poem, “Song at Sunset”, intends to delve into the joy of life. Throughout the poem, Walt Whitman decides to praise nature as a whole for offering him a chance at enjoying all that life has to offer, which, as previously stated, shows that Walt Whitman actively tries to express a Carpe-Diem attitude about the world in his poems. The main theme of Walt Whitman’s poem, Song at Sunset, is that individuals should be grateful that they have been given the opportunity to live and should appreciate all aspects of nature and life.

In today’s society many Americans look past of the importance of nature even though many Americans don’t realize it, nature as a huge impact on their whole lives. The light romantic author, Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrote an essay called “Nature”, which had a strong effect on me for how I feel about nature and enlightened me on how this essay reflects on today’s American society.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated that “the first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature.” Nature in all its forms parallels with life, death, and the soul. Whether the sunshines or the rain falls, whether a flower blooms or willows, nature will always recreate itself and remain a mystery to mankind. To become one with nature, one must explore oneself and know that the simplicity found in it is both divine and perfect. The theme of nature plays a mayor role throughout Whitman, Dickinson, and Emerson’s writings. Each poet conveys his or her view of nature in a unique and symbolic way by searching for the

Secondly, “nature” is a common element found in many Romantic poets though it may be represented in different ways. For example, for Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the interaction between man and nature is a major theme. Coleridge has developed the concept of nature and how nature is reflected on one’s imagination in his poem “Kubla Khan”. “Kubla Khan” voices the imaginative story of a trip to the pleasure-dome meant to reflect man’s connection with the natural world. He agrees to the fact that the imagination and how we interpret the world around us is truer than holding to the teachings of divine beings or gods. (Kant’s philosophy)

The view of nature changed during the course of time periods and throughout my seven reading reflections. I started my reflections during colonial time with “The Scarlett Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorn. During the puritan era nature was seen as a sin. The forest where Hester and Dimmesdale reconnected their love was seen as the place where the “black man lives”. Embracing nature and its carefreeness was seen as a dreadful decision, and this changed over time. On the other hand, my second journal was all about imagery and the beauty of nature. Walt Whitman’s “I Saw in Louisiana a Live Oak Growing” is a comparison of a tree and the narrator’s life. The narrator knows he cannot live an independent existence like the oak tree does. He