Anamnesis presents the 14th edition:
The Human-Nature Dualism
In times of rapid environmental degradation and social change, we find ourselves questioning our relationship with the natural world. In this issue, we want to explore the connection and reliance that we as humans hold with nature as both a piece of the natural whole and as a separate society reliant on its resources. We want to explore what the natural world is and what it consists of, so that we can begin to understand what it means to be called human, nature, or artificial. We want to discuss if there is a difference between the three, and how nature and our relationship to it may or may not affect what it means to be human. You may, but are not required to discuss metaphysical questions related to artificial intelligence or whether it changes what was previously thought to be true about humans and nature.
Below is a list of guiding questions to spark your thinking.
Guiding Questions:
What separates humans from nature, and how does this dualism influence our lives and society?
What is the relationship between the individual and the natural, and how does this differ from how the collective uses and views nature?
What is our responsibility to nature and to the unnatural? Is that responsibility different from that to other humans?
How do the systems that we exist in define and utilize the environment?
What differentiates us from non-human animals?
Are we ethically bound to protect nature? If so, at what cost?
How does our relationship with the environment affect our lives as individuals and the systems that we live in?
How do humans interact with wilderness as both a source of sublime connection and as a resource?
Should we characterize ourselves as separate or the same as the natural world?
Can our characterizations about humans, nature, and the artificial change over time? Should our relationships differ depending on the characterization?
How can a study of these questions help us manage policies related to humans and the environment?