The grape harvest, the gathering of the fruits amused us the rest of that year, and attached us more and more to the rustic life in the midst of the good people by whom we were surrounded. We saw the winter arrive with great regret and we returned to the City as if we were going into exile...I did not leave it without kissing the ground and the trees, and without turning around several times while moving away.
The joy with which I saw the first buds is inexpressible. For me, seeing the the spring again was to come to life again in paradise. The snow had hardly begun to melt when we left our dungeon and we were at les Charmettes early enough to have the first songs of the nightingale there. After that I no longer believed I was going to die; and really it is peculiar that I have never had great illnesses in the country (Rousseau, Confessions, pages 194-195).
Rousseau describes a visit to the countryside during his mid-twenties where he and his companions took pleasure in the simplicity of their natural surroundings. He was faced with the challenge of peacefully entertaining himself--there was no people watching to be done, no contemplation on his society's political structure, and no real schedule to be followed. The experience Rousseau describes on page 194 is one of realization. He was amused by the incredibly simple process of the grape harvest, and realized his true attachment and need for nature. His passion for nature is evident in his comparison of his return to the city to being exiled. In the text he goes on to tell of his bad health in the boundaries of the city, which is brought up again when Rousseau talks about his return to "paradise," and how he no longer felt like he was going to die. His mind was clear; his soul was happy. His health and well-being practically formed a dependence on the countryside.
In modern society, there is no real escape into the country, and if there is, it comes with a price. Civilization is evident everywhere you turn, just as Bill McKibben described in "The End of Nature." Rousseau experienced the gift of a pure nature firsthand, and exhibited its benefits. He described the city as a dungeon, and going into the city as exile. This was a realization he made individually, but eventually trips to the country or less developed areas became something for the elite. A vacation home in the mountains, countryside, or any other remote area is popular amongst members of the modern upper class as well, and has therefore put a hefty price on the remaining bits of untouched nature.
If we as humans are dependent on nature to clear our minds and to center us as Rousseau was, how long can this dependence last? Can we remain dependent on the simplicity and beauty of solitude in nature when "retreating" into remote areas of nature has become so expensive and unattainable? Do you think there will come a time when there will be no paradise and dungeon to compare as Rousseau did and all land is the same? How will humans cope without an escape into nature?
I think the dependence on nature will last for a very long time. We learned that humans need nature in order to survive so that dependence on nature is needed.I do not know for sure if we humans can remain dependent on nature for its simplicity and beauty because most humans get bored of things very quickly and nature falls into that category. I do not know if I can say that there will be no paradise because that is being very pessimistic. We like to think that there is paradise so we can act as better human beings.
ReplyDeleteI think that we may eventually lose a true sense of escaping from civilization. Nature has gradually been treated as a commodity, and in the future all nature retreats may become complete tourist attractions chained to civilization.
ReplyDeleteJust as we read in Leopold’s Land Ethic, most times we only preserve things in nature that we feel is aesthetically pleasing to us. Extra glitz and foliage is sometimes added to the landscape to keep our bodies and eyes actively exploring the landscape. The escapist fantasy of cohabitating with nature will continue to be popular as long as we advertise this troupe in a way that seems personally benefitting. For example, campouts in the old American frontier for example brings about nostalgic feelings of living off the land and riding horses along a dusty trail; a simple life. We also get to experience the childhood fantasy of the highly commoditized cowboy troupe.
Wealthier individuals pay to experience that way of life, but only in a superficial manner. Many times people just seem like tourists and probably would not find literally living as one with nature very appealing. Eventually even those who enjoy nature in the same way as Rousseau will have to open their wallets for limited access.
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ReplyDeleteThe dilemma of humans imposing their ideals upon nature brings about an alternative concern. While modern economics and productivity dictates that we utilize nature to our advantage and comfort, little emphasis or worth in placed on nature itself in its untouched form. Economics cannot encompass the vast wealth that is the world in its essential being. One situation that is of interest when I was considering the meaning of "the end of nature" is the global "race to the bottom." Developed countries in concern for reducing waste and emissions within their own countries have extradited "dirty" industries to other countries.
ReplyDeleteDeveloping countries are of particular interest to polluting industries specifically because of their limited enforcement record of environmental regulations that are a result of inadequate government funds. Competitive deregulation within these countries to attract direct investment and stimulate economic growth has therefore made it possible for corporations to search for the cheapest labor market and region of production. Therefore, relatively few incentives exist for private industry to remain clean.