The Trumpeter - Journal of Ecosophy (Athabasca University)
Not a member yet
1267 research outputs found
Sort by
We're In the Wrong Story
Get PDFWe humans move through the world in a perpetual story which we are frequently unaware that we are writing. Our awareness is imperative, though, since this story is powerful enough to mediate and fundamentally direct the ways in which we interact with our surroundings. This essay uses the lens of genre and the concept of narrative patterning to illustrate the reason for our persistence in self- and Earth-damaging behavioural patterns, and then suggests the narrative pattern we need to adopt in order to avoid the ending we are inevitably writing for ourselves
Social Ecology's Australian Metamorphosis: David Wright Talks with Mark A. Schroll
Get PDFThe name Social Ecology (for those of us who are familiar with it) brings to mind an immediate association with the work of Murry Bookchin. This too was my first thought when I heard about the book Social Ecology: Applying Ecological Understanding to our Lives and our Planet (2011), edited by David Wright, Catherine Camden-Pratt and Stuart Hill. This article provides a sneak preview of the ideas represented in Social Ecology that unfolded as a series of email exchanges between myself and Wright; a review of this book is planned for a future issue of The Trumpeter on “Ecosophies of Communication.”
This article begins with a short summary of Bookchin's perspective—and the way we have come to understand Social Ecology. Followed by a brief definition of what I mean by transpersonal ecosophy. This sets the stage for my communication with Wright, where we will begin to see how the views of Social Ecology have metamorphosed at the University of Western Sydney into a fresh multidisciplinary inquiry. An inquiry that is different only in the name with which it has chosen to identify itself, yet otherwise shares the deep ecology movement's orientation and (following Arne Naess and Alan Drengson) what I now prefer to call transpersonal ecosophy
Bioregions and Spirit Places: Taking up Jim Dodge’s Long-Lost Suggestion
Get PDFWhen people think of bioregionalism they often envision of watersheds, biotic zones, fauna and flora types, weather patterns, decentralization, and autonomy. Intriguingly, in his seminal essay “Living by Life: Some Bioregional Theory and Practice,” bioregionalist Jim Dodge (1981) cites “spirit places” as the third tenet of bioregionalism. However, aside from mentioning Mt. Shasta and the Pacific Ocean as “psyche-tuning power-places,” he offers little in the way of how spirits places shed light on bioregionalism. This paper, drawing on two research trips among the highlanders of Northeast Cambodia, concludes that a bioregional theory that does not include spirit places is myopic. Taken in the highlander context in Cambodia, such a theory is utterly meaningless. The Brao, Tampuan, Bunong and other ethnic minorities of Ratanakiri province show us that bioregionalism is more than geographical separation points and intimate knowledge of local ecology; knowing where spirits dwell and how to deal with them is an equally and quite possibly more important aspect of living sustainably and fruitfully in one’s bioregion. Numerous environmental writers have put forth that indigenous people worldwide are our best teachers for living symbiotically with nature, yet most of these authors are selective students; they are interested in biology lessons, but not spiritual ones. But biology and spirituality are not separate entities for the highlanders of Northeast Cambodia; they are one in the same. This paper argues the point that bioregionalism must take in account spiritual dimensions of the landscape as pointed out by indigenous people
A Critical Appreciation of Ken Wilber’s Critique of Eco-Holism
Get PDFThe purpose of this essay is to assess Ken Wilber’s critique of eco-holism or radical ecology. It (a) summarizes Wilber’s integral paradigm, then (b) reviews the eco-holistic paradigm (as interpreted by Wilber), (c) summarizes his critique, (d) reviews the rebuttal and counter-rebuttal, (e) assesses briefly the adequacy of Wilber’s critique, (f) reviews his recommended solution to the ecological crisis, then (g) ends with a rejoinder and conclusion. The focus of this essay is on the question of the potential validity of Wilber’s theoretical model upon which his critique of eco-holism is based. The reason for this focus is that Wilber’s specific criticisms of radical ecology are based on his model. If his model can be shown to be implausible or invalid, then Wilber's critique of eco-holism is undermined, if not invalidated. On the contrary, if his model is demonstrated to be plausible or potentially valid, his critique must be taken seriously and then evaluated on other grounds, such as its groundedness in the relevant radical ecological literature. The author concludes that Wilber’s all-quadrant all-level model can be accepted as potentially valid. Therefore, his critique of eco-holism is at least potentially valid, but it suffers from a lack of grounding in the radical ecological literature and unjustifiably broad characterizations of eco-holists
Cosmotheoros
Get PDFThe following text explores the spiritual consequences of one possible solution to Fermis Paradox (the lack of evidence for extraterrestrial life given the amount of planets where it could evolve, assuming the Copernican Mediocrity Principle). The solution known as Rare Earth Hypothesis posits that the Earth is, in fact, rare or unique, because there were several unlikely factors that contributed to the evolution of a self-regulating atmosphere and complex intelligent life. Following the work of Anne Primavesi, we propose that the Rare Earth Hypothesis calls for seeing life on Earth as a freely given gift, to which we owe a debt of gratitude. We propose that Copernican humility in relation to the place of Man in the Universe need not be abandoned, but rather complemented by awe and gratitude towards the gift of life. This attitude is explored through a re-reading of Huygens Cosmotheoros in light of the Rare-Earth Hypothesis