Ecocriticism: An Essay: The Ecocriticism Reader Harold Fromm Lawrence Buell
Ecocriticism: An Essay: The Ecocriticism Reader Harold Fromm Lawrence Buell
Western thought has often held a more or less utilitarian attitude to nature —nature is for serving
human needs. However, after the eighteenth century, there emerged many voices that demanded
a revaluation of the relationship between man and environment, and man’s view of nature. Arne
Naess, a Norwegian philosopher, developed the notion of “Deep Ecology” which emphasizes the
basic interconnectedness of all life forms and natural features, and presents a symbiotic and
holistic world-view rather than an anthropocentric one.
Earlier theories in literary and cultural studies focussed on issue of class, race, gender, region are
criteria and “subjects”of critical analysis. The late twentieth century has woken up to a new
threat: ecological disaster. The most important environmental problems that humankind faces as
a whole are: nuclear war, depletion of valuable natural resources, population explosion,
proliferation of exploitative technologies, conquest of space preliminary to using it as a garbage
dump, pollution, extinction of species (though not a human problem) among others. In such a
context, literary and cultural theory has begun to address the issue as a part of academic
discourse. Numerous green movements have sprung up all over the world, and some have even
gained representations in the governments.
Large scale debates over “dumping,” North versus South environmentalism (the necessary
differences between the en-vironmentalism of the developed and technologically advanced richer
nations—the North, and the poorer, subsistence environmentalism of the developing or “Third
World”—the South). Donald Worster‘s Nature’s Economy (1977) became a textbook for the
study of ecological thought down the ages. The historian Arnold Toynbee recorded the effect of
human civilisation upon the land and nature in his monumental, Mankind and Mother
Earth (1976). Environmental issues and landscape use were also the concern of the Annales
School of historians, especially Braudel and Febvre. The work of environmental historians has
been pathbreaking too. Rich-ard Grove et al’s massive Nature and the Orient (1998), David
Arnold and Ramachandra Guha’s Nature, Culture, Imperialism (1995) have been significant
work in the environmental history of India and Southeast Asia. Ramachandra Guha is of course
the most important environmental historian writing from India today.
Various versions of environmentalism developed.Deep ecology and ecofeminism were two
important developments. These new ideas questioned the notion of “development” and
“modernity,” and argued that all Western notions in science, philosophy, politics were
“anthropocentric” (human-centred) and “androcentric”(Man/male-centred). Technology, medical
science with its animal testing, the cosmetic and fashion industry all came in for scrutiny from
environmentalists. Deep ecology, for instance, stressed on a “biocentric” view (as seen in the
name of the environmentalist group, “Earth First!!”).
Ecocriticism is the result of this new consciousness: that very soon, there will be nothing
beautiful (or safe) in nature to discourse about, unless we are very careful.