Berque 1

Summary

This script explores ecology from a philosophical and ethical perspective, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things in nature. It delves into the origins of words like 'ecology' and 'economy,' highlighting their ties. The Anthropocene epoch, where human impact dominates Earth's geology, is discussed, questioning humanity's responsibility towards the environment. The script critiques the Promethean approach to environmental issues, which views nature as a resource for human use, and discusses the limitations of quantifying ecological values using economic terms, suggesting the need for a more holistic understanding.

Takeaways

• 🌿 **Ecology and Relationality**: The script discusses ecology as the study of relationships among living organisms and their environment, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things in nature.
• 🏡 **Origin of 'Ecology'**: The term 'ecology' comes from the Greek word 'Oikos', meaning 'home' or 'dwelling place', which is also the root of 'economy', suggesting a deep connection between how we live and how we manage our resources.
• 🌱 **Anthropocene Era**: The script introduces the Anthropocene, a proposed geological epoch where human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment, highlighting our significant impact on the planet.
• 🔥 **Promethean View**: It critiques the Promethean perspective, which views humans as transcending nature through technological prowess, suggesting this view can lead to seeing nature merely as a resource for human use.
• 🌍 **Human-Nature Relationship**: The discussion points to the ethical implications of how we perceive our relationship with nature, which influences our environmental ethics and actions.
• 🌳 **Ecological Restoration Failures**: The script uses the example of a failed ecological restoration project in China to illustrate the limitations of applying economic models to environmental conservation.
• 💰 **Economic Terms in Ecology**: It critiques the use of economic terms like 'capital stock' and 'services' to describe natural resources, arguing that this translation is limiting and may not capture the true value of ecosystems.
• 📉 **Quantification Limitations**: The script suggests that there are inherent limits to quantifying natural systems and that economic models might not be suitable for understanding or preserving ecological health.
• 🔄 **Translation and Simulation Issues**: It points out that translating natural phenomena into economic terms requires simulation, which can distort our understanding and appreciation of nature's true value.
• 🌐 **Market System and Environmental Destruction**: The script connects the market system, with its focus on economic growth, to environmental degradation, suggesting that our economic approach may be part of the problem.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the discussion in the script?

The primary focus of the discussion is ecology, specifically addressing ecological questions from philosophical and ethical perspectives.

What does the term 'ecology' etymologically suggest?

Etymology of 'ecology' suggests it means something like the structure, language, and logic of the place where we live or where things live.

How are the concepts of 'ecology' and 'economy' related?

Both 'ecology' and 'economy' share the root 'oikos' from ancient Greek, which means 'home' or 'dwelling place'. 'Ecology' relates to the study of the environment, while 'economy' originally referred to the law of behavior, and today it's more about the discourse of how the means of living are procured and distributed.

What is the Anthropocene and why is it debated?

The Anthropocene is a term used to describe the geological age in which humans have become the dominant force on Earth. It's debated because it's contentious whether humans are influential enough to name a geological epoch after themselves and there's uncertainty about when it started.

When and by whom was the term 'Anthropocene' coined?

The term 'Anthropocene' was coined by Dutch meteorologist Paul Crutzen in 2002 in an article titled 'Geology of Man' published in the Journal of Nature.

What is the significance of the Industrial Revolution in relation to the Anthropocene?

The Industrial Revolution, marked by James Watt's design of the steam engine in 1784, is significant as it coincides with the beginning of the Anthropocene, a period characterized by growing global concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane.

What is a Promethean position in the context of environmental ethics?

A Promethean position in environmental ethics refers to the view that humans have transcended nature through their technical prowess and can use technology to manipulate and control the environment for human benefit.

What is the myth of Prometheus and how does it relate to environmental issues?

The myth of Prometheus involves him stealing fire from Zeus to give to humans, symbolizing the gift of technology. In environmental issues, it relates to the human ability to see nature as a resource for culture, overcoming the limitations of nature.

What is the main critique of the Costanza valuation method as discussed in the script?

The main critique of the Costanza valuation method is that it reduces environmental issues to economic terms, which may not be relevant or appropriate for natural systems, and it uses a framework that some argue is responsible for environmental degradation.

Why does Burke argue that translating nature into economic terms is problematic?

Burke argues that translating nature into economic terms is problematic because it requires simulation and translation, which limit the understanding of nature to the field of economy, and it may not capture the true value of ecosystems and the environment.

What is the proposed issue with using quantifiable measures for ecosystems?

The proposed issue with using quantifiable measures for ecosystems is that such measures are inherently limited and may not account for the complexity and intangible aspects of nature, leading to an incomplete understanding and potentially harmful management practices.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Ecology and Interrelation

The script introduces the topic of ecology from a philosophical and ethical perspective, emphasizing the concept of interrelation among elements in the environment. It explains the etymology of 'ecology' from the Greek word 'Oikos,' meaning home or dwelling, and its connection to the word 'economy.' The script mentions the Anthropocene, a term describing the current geological age where human activity has become the dominant influence on the Earth's environment. It discusses the debate surrounding the term and its implications for our responsibility towards the Earth.

05:01

🔥 The Human-Nature Relationship and the Promethean View

This section delves into the relationship between humans and nature, questioning the traditional views that position humans as separate or superior to nature. It introduces the Promethean perspective, which sees humans as capable of transcending natural limitations through technological prowess. The script references the myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods to empower humans, symbolizing the human ability to manipulate nature for cultural advancement. The discussion critiques the Promethean approach, suggesting it leads to viewing nature merely as a resource for human use.

10:02

🌳 Ecological Restoration and Economic Perspectives

The script discusses an ecological restoration project in western China, highlighting its failure and using it as a case study to critique the economic approach to environmental conservation. It mentions the Chinese government's perspective on nature preservation as a resource for economic development. The narrative then explores the Costanza valuation method, a financial approach to assessing environmental assets, which reduces natural elements to capital stocks and services. The script argues that this method is limited because it requires translating non-human concepts into human economic terms, potentially obscuring the true value and complexity of natural ecosystems.

15:04

💡 Limitations of Quantification and Economic Language in Ecology

The final paragraph critiques the use of quantification and economic language in addressing ecological issues. It points out that translating natural phenomena into economic terms can be problematic, as it simplifies and commodifies complex ecosystems. The script suggests that this approach may not capture the full essence and value of nature, and it hints at the need for a different, more holistic perspective that better respects the intrinsic qualities of the environment. The summary ends by suggesting that future discussions will explore alternative approaches to understanding and valuing ecological systems.

Keywords

💡Ecology

Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their environments. In the video, ecology is discussed from a philosophical and ethical perspective, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things in nature. The script mentions that ecology, derived from the Greek word 'oikos' meaning 'home,' is about understanding the structure, language, and logic of the places where things live. It is central to the video's theme as it sets the stage for discussing human interaction with the environment.

💡Relationality

Relationality refers to the concept that everything in the environment is interconnected. The video script underscores this by stating that ecology is about 'relationality amongst things,' suggesting that changes in one part of an ecosystem can affect others. This concept is foundational to ecological thought and is integral to the video's exploration of how humans should ethically engage with nature.

💡Anthropocene

The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch that marks the time when human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. The script introduces this term to discuss the impact of human actions on Earth's geological record. It is used to frame the discussion on human responsibility towards the environment, questioning whether humans have become so influential that they can define a new geological age.

💡Economy

Economy, rooted in the same Greek word 'oikos,' is discussed in the video as originally referring to the 'law of behavior' within a dwelling place but has evolved to mean the system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The video connects ecology and economy, suggesting that how we manage our economic activities has profound implications for ecological health.

💡Promethean position

The Promethean position refers to the view that humans can and should use technology to overcome nature's limitations. Named after the Greek mythological figure Prometheus, who gave fire to humans, this perspective is critiqued in the video as it leads to seeing nature primarily as a resource for human use. The script uses this concept to discuss the ethical implications of technological interventions in the environment.

💡Geological Epoch

A Geological Epoch is a division of geological time, reflecting the Earth's history and significant changes in life forms and climate. The video mentions the Holocene and the proposed Anthropocene Epochs to discuss the scale of human impact on the planet. This term is crucial for understanding the temporal context of ecological discussions in the video.

💡Ethics

Ethics in the video pertains to the moral principles that govern human behavior, particularly in relation to the environment. The script discusses how ethical considerations should guide human interactions with nature, questioning the morality of treating the environment solely as a resource. Ethics is central to the video's exploration of environmental responsibility.

💡Resource

In the context of the video, a resource is something that is available for use, often referring to natural elements like water, land, or minerals. The script critiques the notion of viewing nature as a resource, suggesting that this perspective can lead to exploitation and environmental degradation. The term is used to highlight the need for a more respectful and sustainable approach to nature.

💡Quantification

Quantification refers to the process of expressing quantities or magnitudes in numerical terms. The video discusses the limits of quantification in environmental contexts, arguing that ecosystems and their values cannot be fully captured by numbers. This concept is used to critique economic approaches to environmental management that rely on monetary valuation.

💡Translation and Simulation

Translation and simulation in the video refer to the process of converting natural phenomena into human-understandable and economic terms. The script uses these terms to critique the Costanza valuation method, which attempts to assign economic values to natural resources. The video suggests that this approach is flawed because it reduces the complexity of ecosystems to simple economic metrics.

💡Environmental Ethics

Environmental Ethics is the branch of philosophy that addresses moral relationships between humans and the environment. The video discusses this concept to explore how humans should ethically interact with nature. It is used to frame discussions on the moral implications of human activities on the environment and the need for a more responsible approach.

Highlights

Ecology is fundamentally about relationality amongst things in the environment.

The foundational idea of ecology is that everything is interrelated.

The word 'ecology' comes from 'Oikos' in Greek, meaning home or dwelling place.

Economy is derived from 'Oikos' and 'nomos', meaning law of behavior in the context of where we live.

Ethics and ecological/environmental ethics involve understanding humankind's relationship with nature.

The term 'Anthropocene' describes the geological age where humans have become the dominant force.

The Anthropocene is debated due to questions about human influence and the starting point of this era.

The Anthropocene is marked by the Industrial Revolution and the rise in global carbon dioxide and methane levels.

Ethical discussions on ecology often start from the idea that humans hold a special place in the environment.

Promethean position in environmental ethics suggests that humans have transcended nature through technology.

The myth of Prometheus is used to illustrate the human ability to use technology to overcome nature's limitations.

Prometheus gave humans 'techne', a form of vision that allows them to see nature as a resource for culture.

The Chinese government's ecological restoration project is an example of a quasi-Promethean view.

The Costanza valuation method is criticized for reducing natural things to economic terms like capital stock and services.

Translation and simulation of natural things into economic terms are seen as problematic in ecological discussions.

The market system, which the Costanza method is based on, is historically linked to environmental destruction.

Burke suggests that there are limits to quantification when discussing ecosystems and the environment.

Transcripts

thank you

hello so now we're going to be talking

about ecology or we're trying to address

uh ecological questions from a

philosophical and ethical perspective

um the first thing to say about ecology

broadly speaking is that when we think

about ecology we're thinking about

relation uh relationality amongst things

[Music]

um

in the environment in nature and so on

and so forth

they say people say and you'll find this

in the nairat article if we end up

reading it

um the the the the sort of Golden Rule

the first idea the foundational idea of

colleges that everything is interrelated

and quick background on the word because

I like to do this sometimes Oikos in

Greek and ancient Greek means home or

Hearth or dwelling place and Oikos is

the Eco in a lot of words that we still

have today so ecology

but also

economy and these two are going to be

tied especially in the Burke piece so

ecology if you break it down

etymologically and of course it's not

literally how we use the word today

anymore but ecology sort of means um

something like the structure language

and logic of the place that we live or

the places in which things live an

economy uh also Eco Oikos nomos means

law oftentimes

uh referring to behavior

um and so you might say that economy

originally means or refers to something

like

um

the law of behavior

law yeah law sort of law of

behavior in parentheses for where we

live

um or where things live right we know it

now to be more about the discourse about

how the means of living are procured and

distributed

so this is a little background Oikos

ecology economy um these are

interrelated Concepts and it's difficult

to think one without the other

um I guess a little bit of background or

something that's worth mentioning when

we talk about something like ethics and

ecological or environmental ethics I

noticed this semester semester in which

I'm recording this a lot of students

have never heard the term anthropocene

before so anthropocene is a term that we

it's a debated term that we use today to

describe

um the geological age

in which man has become humans have

become the dominant Force uh and what's

what this means uh geological age we're

talking about the history Evolution and

development of the Earth as a thing

and so this is quite a contested term

because you know can we really say that

humans are so influential that um

we can name a geological Epoch after

ourselves

um when did it start and so on and so

forth this was coined by a Dutch

meteorologist in 2002 in an article

written in the Journal of nature named

geology of man you could Google well his

name's Paul krutson you can Google Paul

crudson

c-r-u-t-z-e-n uh geology of man it's

very short I think you could read it in

five or ten minutes I have a little uh

excerpt here that I'll read really

quickly he says it seems appropriate to

assign the term anthropocene to the

present in many ways human-dominated

geological Epoch supplementing the

Holocene the warm period of the last 10

to 12 Millennia so we're talking about

massive almost unfathomable from the

human perspective of periods of time

right 10 to 12 Millennia the holocene's

been going on for it the anthropocene

can be said to have started in the

latter half of the 18th century

when analyzes of air trapped in Polar

Ice showed the beginning of growing

Global concentrations of carbon dioxide

and methane

this date also happens to coincide with

James Watts design of the steam engine

in 1784. so uh crucson is is dating this

around the sort of dawn of the

Industrial Revolution when we really

start putting uh certain types of things

in the air right uh carbon and methane

uh methane also if you don't know um

a byproduct of

large-scale cattle farming right

um

so in any case

um we live in an age where

um our responsibility whether or not the

question of whether or not we have a

responsibility and what that

responsibility is and how we ought to

act on it towards the Earth towards the

environment as the thing that sustains

us

so when we talk about ecology we're sort

of back in this question of what is the

human what is humankind but we're also

simultaneously asking what is nature and

we're asking about the relationship

between these two things right so

subject object Mind Body now we're human

nature

um and the way that we think about this

relationship often has quite a good deal

of influence on the way we address it

ethically right

um adjust the environment or the or

ecological issues ethically

um

we're sort of starting out here from the

idea that humankind has uh holds a

special place in the environment a

special place in relation to Earth it's

sort of transcended it we've sort of

gotten Beyond

um the limitations

of nature or we're getting Beyond them

and usually we're getting Beyond them in

this context through our technical

prowess our ability to use technology so

this idea that for example those

approaches to environmental issues that

suggest things like geoengineering

actually anything at all any solution

which requires engineering to some

degree is what would be called a

Promethean position

and if you don't know why we would call

it a Promethean position it's it's an

important term and I think to know in

the context of environmental ethics the

myth of Prometheus in ancient Greece it

sort of goes something like this

um

Epimetheus who was prometheus's brother

was tasked with the job of giving all of

the creatures on Earth that special

thing that makes them what they are that

special trait unique trait so what makes

a goat a goat and so on and so forth

right he forgot to give humans their

special trait and so his brother

Prometheus stole fire

um from Mount Olympus stole fire from

Zeus and gave it to humans Zeus got very

mad and sort of chained him or or

um held him on the side of the mountain

in some other way

um and so because Prometheus is a God he

can't die so he lives in in suffering

and torture I'm gonna read a good I

think synopsis of the myth of Prometheus

that pertains to what we're talking

about

um when we talk about environmental

issues

so this says uh historically the most

significant version of Prometheus comes

from the Greek tragedy Prometheus bound

it famously begins with Prometheus

spiked through the chest to a mountain

Crag by Zeus's henchmen force and

violence

because he is a god Prometheus can't die

in his suffering he becomes a symbol of

democratic resistance and a kind of poet

of witness as he uses his lengthy

speeches and tortured body as evidence

against Zeus's authoritarianism

at one point Zeus even considers wiping

out the human race

Prometheus responds by giving humans

technology

doing so out of Goodwill towards humans

his fellow sufferers under Zeus

but what Prometheus gives is not so much

technological things as technological

site right and we've talked about this

in various ways where you've read about

this in various ways right the uh unique

technical technological capacity that

humans have right

um technical site technological sites so

before his gift of Technology Prometheus

Compares human Visions to shapes in a

dream saying that humans didn't have any

reliable sign of winter and did

everything without planning Prometheus

then showed them the risings of the

stars and showed them all these things

blah blah blah Prometheus gives humans a

kind of vision and this is what's

important here that allows them to see

nature as a resource for culture

overcoming the limits of uh the

limitations of nature for early human

life so

uh to

extrapolate a little bit from the

analogy or or just clarify

um Zeus here you know the god of thunder

and lightning and the weather and so on

the the top God as it were and the son

of time I think which is not not um

irrelevant here

um

in some sense overcome by Prometheus in

a way by giving humankind the means to

fend for themselves not a bad story

um except well and I'm not going to say

this is bad but the way that we use

prometheism today is precisely in this

last line a lot what allows us to see

nature as a resource for culture so when

we view a hard split between say

humankind nature a relation exists when

we when we view a hard split between

these two as if humankind has

transcended nature

then nature becomes an object for us

important preposition four right it's

something that's for us not for anything

else right it's it's a resource for the

development of human things which is

where uh the Burke article sort of

starts

one second I'll be back

okay so the first part of this Augustine

Burke essay which really goes up to page

six

um he starts by describing these

magnificent trees and then he's talking

about this ecological restoration

project or conservation project in

western China

um he tells us about how all the things

all the details why I failed and so on

why is he telling us this why do we get

this whole story and everything that

happened

pause for a second and think about it

okay so the answer is

um

he wants to emphasize the discursive

approach which is to say like how we

approach

um

nature or questions of what we should do

with nature what sort of language what

sort of um

Fields do we use to approach it and uh

here we have the two

two examples of a

quasi-promethean View at the very least

we have the position of the Chinese

government which refers directly to the

preservation of nature because nature as

as a resource for

the development of the economy which is

therefore a resource for humans

um you should stop and think about

whether or not saying that a resource

for humans and a resource for the

economy is the same thing

um and how it might differ in different

economic scenarios

so this whole thing fails

and

uh a method called the Costanza

valuation method is done applied so the

first we get this uh resource resource

resource language then we get this

Costanza evaluation method

um and what is that well that's a that's

a a method that comes from Finance

Capital it has two major factors that

Burke discusses

um one of them is uh

Capital assets or Capital asset stock I

should go twice out to see what the word

exactly is and the other is resource

right so Capital stocks is exactly what

you you imagine it to be it's capital in

reserve that can be used

um and services I don't know if I said

resources or Services excuse me the

other one is Services service is an

intangible commodity and so when using

the gistan's evaluation method to figure

out what went wrong with this

environmental strategy we have to

translate natural things into these two

categories right so we get an iceberg

viewed as a natural Capital stock and we

get service and intangible Commodities

so generally intangible Commodities I

deliver you a pizza or I wait on you or

I drive an Uber whatever the service

industry right these are things

Commodities that you can buy but you

can't really actually Reach Out And

Touch

um

and so

um Services here

become

or a service

the amount of water given by the glacier

to this term River Basin this ecosystem

and Burke wants to use all this he's

telling us all this for one reason which

is to point out that we're probably

approaching this using the wrong type of

language and the wrong field We're

translating nature

which is not inherently human

into inherently human terms right the

economy is something that we invented to

do specific things so it's an inherently

human thing We're translating nature

into this right so Capital stock

Services these are very specific human

Concepts and now we're taking glaciers

and you know Glacier glacial runoff

basically the various ways in which it

can feed the water table

um we have to simulate and translate and

so the key passages here

um come at the page six towards the end

he says

however it Remains the case that

translating into commercial terms is by

definition limited to a field of the

economy

whose relevance is immediately canceled

out by the simulation that makes the

translation possible

so it's not relevant because we have to

do this simulating and translating in

order to fit natural things into

economic terms in this way right we're

talking about conservation here in a way

and then the last bit here at the at the

end of this section the Costanza method

in fact brings problems of the

environment down to a dimension which is

itself inherent in the system the market

that as history shows leads to the

destruction of the planet's environment

so not only have we we picked one

um which causes for problems because

it's not we have these translation and

simulation problems but we picked these

specific one that many people think is

responsible for environmental problems

in the first place

it seems more logical to question the

relevance of that reference and look for

a more fundamental one so the whole

first half or so

um of this article by Burke is to

suggest and to demonstrate how um

there are

quantifiable right because these things

are the Capitals uh stock and services

uh when they're simulated they're

simulated in quantifiable terms

um and he's suggesting that we can't

really do that when we're talking about

ecosystems and the environment

um he's saying that there are limits to

quantification I think that that's the

subtitle of one of the sections here so

that's that's where we are

um and in the next video I'll talk about

um a little bit what he proposes

as a potential solution so cool