How Progress Increases the

Human Alienation of Nature

Victoria Renée Brencic

Seminar Paper

University of St. Gallen

Reflections on the Human Habitat

January 27^th, 2005

table of contents

1. Introduction ... 1

2. English Influence in ‘Alien Soil’ ...  1

3. The Effects of Alienation on Nature ... 1
3.1. How Humans Started Changing Nature ... 2
3.2. The Effects of Human Intervention on Nature ... 3

4. Process - Why Humans Alter(ed) Nature ... 3
4.1. The Race for Power ... 3
4.2. Knowledge as Potential ... 4

5. how to stop alienating nature (progress) ... 5

6. Conclusion ... 5

Bibliography ...  6[VB1] [VB2] 

1.  Introduction

Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘Alien Soil’ shows the effects of British imperialism on her native land Antigua. The introduction of alien foreign flora and fauna was a result of the Englishmen’s desire for private (English) gardens – this lead to the total ruin of the island’s natural landscape. Another effect of the British colonialism was that with time the Antiguans started adapting their rulers’ behaviour and even traits of character.

After reading Jamaica Kincaid’s article ‘Alien Soil’, I found myself busied with the question as to why human beings alienate nature and how this has progressed since our species liveslives on earth. In this paper I shall repeatedly show parallels between my thoughts and ‘Alien Soil’.

2.  English Influence in ‘Alien Soil’

The adjective ‘alien’ means foreign, strange, not naturalized (Webster’s dictionary, 1976, p. 15). The English are the source of all alienation in ‘Alien Soil’ when considering that Antigua was natural (nature was more or less untouched) until their arrival. Everything that is related to the English culture - which is a sum of their habits, religion, mentality, traditions, language and goals - is also regarded as alien from the Antiguan point of view. What Kincaid is actually describing in her article is the clash of the (back then) advanced culture of the English and the ‘primitive’ culture of the Antiguans.

The colonialism of Antigua by the English lead to changes in two main systems – nature and society; these systems are elements, which influence human habitats.

3.  The Effects of Alienation [1] on Nature

The general question as to what effects human intervention has on nature is of great interest. But I initially wanted to find out, how it came about that humans started changing nature.

In order to understand this, we have to go back to a period in time where solely nature influenced the planet. By recapitulating the growth of human influence on the ecosystem we gain an overall picture, which allows us to reflect on what actually spurred humans to alter nature at all.

3.1.  How Humans Started Changing Nature

Certain powers have been accompanying our planet for millions of years, leading to life in the form of plants and animals. Mankind has long wondered what unexplainable phenomenon can trigger, plan and surveille everything that we are and have on this planet. Some speak of God, science speaks of Nature[2].

Modern humans are the present outcome of an unbelievable chain of evolution. Scientists agree that humans and apes had common ancestors millions of years ago (Becoming Human – The Documentary).[3] An important development took place during the evolution from ape-like creatures searching for safety among the trees, to hunting and clothed primitive human beings: Humans learned to adapt to their environment. They started walking upright, learned to look for themselves and so distanced themselves from nature. Ideas lead to inventions, which resulted in things that made life much easier and more comfortable.

The era of modern man emerged and certain won insight into different fields explain nature. Aristoteles, Galileo, Leonarda da Vinci, Newton, Einstein and Hawking made wonderful discoveries in the field of physics for example. Human curiosity and innovation has lead to mind-boggling inventions and technologies. Our race has long been capable of countering the opinion that some things – for example flying – are not natural and therefore just not meant to be.

3.2.  The Effects of Human Intervention on Nature

The forces of nature linked and guided all life on the planet successfully until we started meddling. Every little thing from plants, to animals, to weather has influence on each other in various ways. A small alteration in any of those chains has consequences, which in turn bring the ecological system out of balance. If left alone for a reasonable amount of time though, nature can usually find a way to correct itself and even out.

Humans neglected maintaining the earth’s natural resources and species. With time human progress took its toll on the environment and damaged it in many ways. Excessive hunting in the past lead to extinction of many species. The planet is contaminated with industrial waste and radiation. Many natural resources like coal, oil and trees have been used to such extent that one has started worrying about what is to be done in future.

Humans have been the most important force of nature in the last couple of centuries. By changing and transforming the entire planet we try to construct what we believe is the ideal habitat. We often believe that we are taking over power from nature but we actually only rely on its outputs. Human-induced catastrophes remind us, that we still aren’t at the point where we can control the magnitude with which our actions affect the environment we live in. Examples are the horrendous effects of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the Chernobyl disaster.

4.  Process - Why Humans Alter(ed) Nature

My explanation as to why humans alter nature is linked to a couple of factors: assets, culture and power.

4.1.  The Race for Power

One could state that the alienation of nature will continue as long as there is progress. What is progress? We only speak of advance when we compare that what has been achieved with that what hasn’t. The technological spurt of the last century, for which we thank the industrial countries, was and still is incredible. Such countries are defined by the height of economical, financial and intellectual assets, which fuel human progress.

Fact is that the international race for the top is spurred by competition amongst leaders. I believe that progress is the result of competition for knowledge, prestige and power.

I see parallels between progress and Kincaid’s article ‘Alien Soil’ where she explains that the English and (imitating) Antiguan have a flair for private gardens because they are “spiritually feverish, restless, and full of envy” (p. 331). The English could be seen as representative for industrial countries and the Antiguans as developing countries. The developing countries often try to get ahead and reach the same heights as their rich rivals by imitating them and adapting their competitive point of view. There are also exceptions where countries do try to protect their traditional way of living, thinking and (political) acting (i.e. Iraq - USA) like the rebellious Kinkaid.

4.2.  Knowledge as Potential

Progress isn’t only spurred by competition. Scientists and thinkers usually do research out of love for humanity, their country or their field, which wakes their fantasy, curiosity and hunger for knowledge. It also happens that the result of their insight can often lead to findings that they themselves preferably would never have looked or hoped for. Talented men can assume and foresee, what can be made of their discoveries. A very vivid example is the Russell-Einstein Manifesto (very interesting: see Appendix 1). At the end the country (legal or political institution), decides what is to be done with the technology. 

The comparison of Kincaid’s gardening and that of the Antiguans and English also shows parallels to this thought. Kincaid stresses the fact, that she has no order in her garden – that she grows things because she enjoys gardening and the beauty of the plants. This can be compared to the love of scientists for their field and their digging for knowledge.

The English and Antiguan on the other hand strive for correction and personal perfection of the land. Gardens are used to portray wealth, status and prestige, which are measured by comparison. In this sense Kincaid is right; comparison of what one doesn’t have to what others do, leads to envy, which is a form of restlessness and also greed.

5.  how to stop alienating nature (progress)

‘Cheat Takes Over’ from Aldo Leopold (1949) reports how cheat grass, an invasive natural species, gets out of hand and can only be stopped by natural barriers beyond which it can not survive.

The question of how far man should go with their new technology and ‘playing God’ is a theme of great actuality since humans succeeded in altering DNA sequences and cloning. An answer to how far technology will go can be found by comparing human beings with cheat grass. Like it, they are not to be controlled in their growth and development. Human progress can probably be stopped by two events: First, by reaching a sheer unimaginable point of knowledge and possession where we understand and have everything there is to be questioned and possessed. This point is most likely never to be reached, as long as human genius and greed is unlimited. Secondly, a natural disaster of such magnitude would have to occur, that it extinguishes all humanity.

6.  Conclusion

My conclusion of this reflection:

×  Humans are an impressively progressive species, which use their knowledge to adapt their natural habitat to their means by alienating it.

×  Alienation is a result of progress.

×  Progress is the outcome of comparison and competition amongst the leading. It is fuelled by prestige as well as financial, economical and intellectual assets.

×  All species strive for power (in some form or other) and consequently for control.

×  We should learn to form our habitat so, that we can control the effect of our actions on the natural ecosystem and environment while protecting and valuing it.

Bibliography

Becoming Human (2001). Becoming Human – The Documentary. Retrieved on January 16^th 2005 from http://www.becominghuman.org/

Guralnik, D. (Ed.). (1976). Webster’s New World Dictionary (2^nd ed.). New York: William Collins + World Publishing Co., Inc..

Huntington, S. (1998). Kampf der Kulturen. München: Europa Verlag GmbH.

Kinkaid, J. (1993). Alien Soil. In W. Brönnimann (Ed.), Reflections on the Human Habitat (WS 04/05). St.Gallen: Skriptenkommission.

Leopold, A. (1949). Cheat Takes Over. In W. Brönnimann (Ed.), Reflections on the Human Habitat (WS 04/05). St.Gallen: Skriptenkommission.

Pickrell, J. (2003, May 20). Chimps Belong on Human Branch of Family Tree, Study Says. National Geographic News. Retrieved on January 4^th 2005 from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0520_030520_chimpanzees.html

Web-Source:   Nuclear Files.org (no date). The Russell-Einstein Manifesto. Retrieved on January 25th 2005, from  http://www.nuclearfiles.org/redocuments/1955/ 550709-russel-einstein.html

[1] alienation = changing or influencing anything that is a product of natural (non-human) forces  [personal definition]

[2] Webster’s dictionary actually defines nature as “the primitive state of man” (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1976, p.400).

[3] “A new scientific report argues that chimpanzees are so closely related to humans that they should be included in our branch of the tree of life.” (Pickrell, 2003)

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