I wrote:
> "Surely by now people realise that nothing called
> "nature" can possibly exist outside a cultural context?"
So John Hartog wrote:
> What does that even mean?
I take a walk in a local forest and decide to make a recording. The forest =
did not exist before it was constructed by humans, in the literal sense tha=
t almost no primeval / original forest remains in Europe. All such places I=
might choose to occupy are a result of agricultural practices. The walk is=
along a designated path. Even if I vary from this, the floor of the forest=
is very unlike that in an untamed woods, being largely cleared of detritus=
. If I am very adventurous, I might explore deep thickets that relatively f=
ew people have traversed, but even there I might be surprised to find disca=
rded refuse and (as all in this group are aware) the sonic traces of overhe=
ad aircraft, distant automobiles, water craft, and so on.
In my attempt to escape all this and seek a "peaceful", "untouched", "virgi=
n" experience I must remove myself further, but even then can only accompli=
sh my task if I am willing to forget that these concepts are a product of p=
articular aesthetic preoccupations, philosophies and artistic movements of =
the past. The very idea of "taking a walk in nature" is a construct.
As is the idea of "noise", by the way. One listener's annoyance is another =
listener's salve.
> Reality cannot exist outside of a cultural context.
I am not sure how this argument is furthered by making it so general that i=
t cannot possibly be addressed. I believe your gambit it congruent with the=
"straw man" fallacy.
> The word "nature" might however have a specific meaning
> in the context of this group.
The variety of responses in this thread demonstrates otherwise.
I come to a social milieu such as the one provided by this group precisely =
so my expectations might be challenged. Here I can see/hear from other pers=
pectives. I am as happy to hear your coyotes echoing through Oregon as I am=
Mark's icebreaker. Both are part of fictional worlds that have only some v=
ague relationship to lived experience. And none whatsoever to mine. Which i=
s precisely why they are worth listening to.
-- robinparmar.com
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