Characters:
Tali
Gaia (AKA Mother Nature, or the “Earth”)
Seren (a friend of Tali’s)
Scene: Meadow in city suburbs. Slated for leveling and paving. Will be the future home of a bus terminus. Abundant grass and flowers, sparse trees, and a small creek are present. Tali is wandering aimlessly along an indistinct path. A gentle breeze is blowing.
[Tali walking, humming quietly to herself. Stops to bend down and examine a flower.]
Gaia: Good day, my child.
[Tali stands up quickly and looks around, a bit embarrassed to be caught in the act of savoring the smell of a flower.]
Tali: Who said that? Who’s there?
Gaia: It is I, your Mother.
Tali: Not my mother. I know who my mother is, and she’s not you, whoever you are.
Gaia: That’s not what they used to say.
Tali: Used to say? Who used to say? And I still don’t see you.
Gaia: As the people used to say. And yes, you do see me. I am all around you, everywhere you look. I’m that flower you hold, the ground you stand on, the air you breathe.
Tali: What? That can’t be.
[Tali pauses and thinks for a minute.]
Tali: I am not talking to the Earth, that isn’t possible. And I’m not talking to no one, so wherever you’re hiding you better come out.
Gaia: But I am here. What must I say to convince you?
Tali: I don’t think you can convince me.
Gaia: Then I won’t bother to try, and I’ll ask only you talk with me. Will you do that?
[Brief pause while Tali considers her options. She glances around nervously to make sure no one was walking about within hearing or seeing distance.]
Tali: Um, okay. I guess a bit of talk won’t hurt.
Gaia: Good. Please, sit down.
[Tali looks around her, finds a nice rock that she could have sworn had not been there previously, and takes a seat.]
Gaia: Shall I tell you a story?
[Tali, still looking rather uncomfortable with this whole situation, fidgets a bit, then responds.]
Tali: Okay…
Gaia: I shall begin the story in a time when people thought of me as being a living creature. They conceived of me as having bodily functions and parts, and treated me with highest respect.
[Tali interrupts.]
Tali: Well, I do that. I recycle.
[The breeze grew mysteriously cooler and Tali shivered slightly.]
Gaia: They did more than that.
Tali: More than recycling?
Gaia: Yes. They treated me as you would treat your own mother. They would give me gifts and have ceremonies and rituals whenever they needed any of my body. I was more than happy to nourish them, for they did not intentionally over-harvest, and they would replenish what they could. It was a joy to see them grow and thrive.
Tali: But isn’t that what we’re doing now? Thriving, I mean.
Gaia: In a way, yes. But you do not remember the Earth that has sustained, and is still sustaining, you.
Tali: Maybe we don’t need you anymore.
[There was a terrible gust of chilly wind that almost blew Tali off her rock.]
Gaia: Do you have any idea where the clothes you wear, the food you eat, or the materials to build the house you live in came from?
Tali: Of course I do. I’m not stupid. They came from the clothing store, the supermarket, and the lumberyard, respectively.
[The breeze died down a bit and there was a moment of silence.]
Gaia: Maybe I should continue. I expect too much. You have been raised to believe these things you say are true. It is not your fault, but I will try to explain so that you may be further enlightened as to the world around you and the situation at hand.
It is true that people used to treat me as a mother. But then around the sixteenth century, things began to change. Markets began to change. People went from subsistence living to overproduction and harvest to feed many. They wanted money, you see.
Tali: Don’t we all.
Gaia: No, not all, but most, yes. Commercial and industrial enterprises eventually took over. Mass-production became common. They cut down my forests, harvested my bowels for minerals, gems, and fuel, and polluted my fluids with who knows what.
Tali: Whoa, wait a minute. Bowels? Fluids? If you ask me, that’s getting a little personal, not to mention strange.
Gaia: Not at all. The waters, lava, and other liquids in and on me were likened to human blood and other bodily fluids. My bowels and womb were the natural and man-made caverns where rocks were harvested.
[Tali eyed the small stream running through the meadow suspiciously, then tried to inconspicuously scoot her rock farther away from it.]
Tali: Uh-huh. I’m sure. That’s still a bit off in my opinion, but okay. Whatever floats your boat… well, not that literally… um, yeah. Anyway, continue.
Gaia: Yes, well, in the next century science began to really bud. “Experimental Science” I believe is what they call it now. Fellows started coming up with all sorts of ideas of how the “Earth” really worked. A man by the name of Bacon began to put forth writings saying that I must be dominated, molded by machines, beaten into submission, and torn apart in the process. I was only there to serve mankind, and they held no obligation to me whatsoever.
Tali: Now that I believe to be just wrong.
Gaia: Yes?
Tali: Yes. I believe that we need to use you, yes, but I think that people have gone to excesses in abusing you. We could be sustained on so much less if only we’d put a little effort into truly understanding the world – you – and each other. We have neglected responsibilities to ensure your future, not mention our own. We think we can create anything we need, that we can survive without you. I don’t see how people can possibly believe this.
Gaia: But I thought you said that you didn’t need me anymore.
Tali: Yes, I did say that, didn’t I? Oftentimes I just lose my will to fight against them anymore. People are too stubborn and hardheaded to change their minds. If only they’d listen to their hearts, and not society around them.
[The breeze blowing through the meadow gentled and became a warm touch on Tali’s skin. The sun shone through the clouds, casting dancing rays on the wavering grasses, playing on the water’s surface.]
Gaia: It was not only Bacon that said such mechanistic things, but Descartes, Dury, Hartlib, Glanvill, Boyle, and probably many more. Among these, Boyle was the first to make the distinction between totally controlling the “Earth” and simply knowing about it. I thank him for that.
Tali: As do I. I still get so frustrated with people for feeling that they must control and abuse you. They can't see that you have a soul – spirit – and give us the things we need to live. We must sustain you to sustain ourselves. You need life, too, right?
Gaia: Yes, I do. But the ages have not been kind. Experimental science led to a scientific revolution, which became the basis of most modern western industrialized countries’ worldviews. People now view the world so thoroughly as a machine that they believe they can fix anything with technology. It feels as if I no longer exist, as if I’ve died.
[There was an acute moment of silence before Tali quietly spoke.]
Tali: “The Death of Nature.”
Gaia: Hmm? Oh, yes. I suppose that is a fitting phrase.
Tali: No, it’s something I read in this book for school. “The removal of animistic, organic assumptions about the cosmos constituted the death of nature.” It was from Radical Ecology by Merchant, I believe. Really makes you think, though, doesn’t it? If we can remove life from the very thing that has given life to all of us, what else are we capable of doing? It’s a scary thought.
Gaia: Indeed, it is.
Tali: And with that thought in place, there was nothing left to inhibit commercial capitalism, was there?
Gaia: No, there wasn’t.
Tali: What about other philosophies? I’m sure there were some present.
Gaia: Yes. Aristotelian, Stoic, Gnostic, Hermetic, magic, naturalist, and animist. But they were not as powerful and far-reaching as that of the mechanistic worldview. It dominated overall. People began to make assumptions about nature that validated their worldview. Firstly, they began to believe matter was composed of particles, this is known as the ontological assumption. Secondly, they thought the universe was a natural order (the principle of identity). Thirdly, they assumed knowledge and information could be abstracted from the natural world (the assumption of context independence). Fourthly, they believed that problems could be analyzed into parts that could be manipulated by mathematics (the methodological assumption). And lastly, they thought sense data were discrete (the epistemological assumption).1
Tali: Well that’s silly. How could all those apply to nature? She’s not a machine. She doesn’t run on cogs and gears that can be replaced. When she runs down, she can’t be wound up again, at least not by us. She’s done. I’ll give you that matter is composed of particles, we’ve proven that. But to believe they are not alive? Nothing has shown they don’t have life. Sure, maybe by the traditional definitions of what constitutes a living organism they aren’t alive, but that’s not to say they can’t somehow be defined as their own evolving entities.
The second assumption, all things are ordered, is also ridiculous in my view. What about entropy? What about the idea that the universe is slowly moving toward greater and greater chaos? Of course it would reach some equilibrium eventually, but… but I’m speaking too scientifically. I don’t want to speak scientifically here, that’s what I’m arguing against, isn’t it? They say nature is ordered and can be predicted by science, but what of those things that can’t be predicted? Are they then considered not to be part of nature? Personally, I consider any “phenomena” as something that should be unnatural. If an event occurs on its own without artificial intervention, then it should be considered natural. I do not believe any of nature can actually ever be truly controlled. But I have also read that “phenomena that ‘cannot be foreseen or reproduced at will… [are] essentially beyond the control of science.’”2 Is that to say that whatever cannot be controlled by science is phenomena? That sounds absolutely strange. The revolutions of the Earth cannot be controlled by science, neither can the movement of the weather, or the activity of tectonic plates. Are these thusly phenomena? No, they are known as natural occurrences. This implies they are phenomena, though, because they aren’t controlled by science. Yet there are sciences that are studying these events. By doing this are they trying to make them not phenomena and thusly not natural? And why would anyone want to do that? Why would they want to explain things mathematically and scientifically; control nature and explain her? Experiencing things that aren’t predictable or absolute is part of being alive.
The third assumption, that knowledge can be abstracted from nature, I believe to be totally bogus. I agree with Merchant when she states in her book, Radical Ecology, that the “problem was the intrinsic difficulty, if not impossibility, of successfully abstracting the form or structure of reality from the tangled web of its physical, material, [and] environmental context. Structures are in fact not independent of their contexts, as this third assumption stated, but integrally tied to them” (pp. 51). How can you separate something from the very thing that defines it? It would no longer be what it originally was. It would certainly still be something, but not what it was to begin with. Let me illustrate with a scientific model, even. Let’s take carbon dioxide, CO2, for example. In its original form, it is a controversial greenhouse gas, emitted extensively from automobiles, and also emitted naturally by other living organisms. But if it is split into the atoms that compose it, carbon, C, and oxygen, O2, we are left with two components of our atmosphere, one of which is necessary for our respiration. These two atoms cannot be defined as CO2, just as CO2 does not bear resemblance to, or the same definition of, either of its gaseous components. By separating the original from the environment and circumstances that defined it, we end up with something entirely other.
The fourth assumption is in itself logical, but not when it is applied to nature and the natural world around us. Problems can, of course, be broken down into parts to be able to find a solution, but the answer is not always mathematical or obvious. It is a good idea to consider things in steps, yes, I do not argue that point. But how we view the way to the solution is often the problem. For example, let’s take the issue of salmon depletion. The problem has been broken down into parts – salmon are becoming extinct due mainly to over-harvesting, hydropower, and habitat destruction. How do we solve this? Hatcheries. Make more fish and let them go and problem solved, right? Except for the fact that nature is unpredictable, she is not a constant such as numbers in an equation. Salmon die along the way because of natural and unnatural circumstances. And due to many species being relocated by people into rivers that were not native to them, more problems have arisen. So thus hatcheries have now been added to one of the components making up the original problem. Nature cannot be shoved into a nice, neat little formula and be expected to survive.
The fifth assumption, that sense data are discrete, that everything we do is simply reasoning, I don’t believe I can convincingly argue, though I don’t wholly agree with it. I believe that it is true that nature is merely the perception of whoever is viewing it, for something can never be defined as complete truth and actuality so long as there is a chance for it to be perceived differently by someone else. We reason to be able to survive, and our reasoning is based in how we perceive the world around us. But we still do not have the right to dominate over nature. We should protect her and sustain her because we reason, not in spite of it. By doing this, we would logically be ensuring our own survival in the future. There is no reason why we should have to control entirely the world in which we live, but there is reason to protect it.
[There was silence in the meadow. A calm had settled over the grasses and nothing stirred. Then Gaia spoke.]
Gaia: I cannot say that you do not have some valid points. It is heartening to see that there are a few people left capable of viewing nature, and myself, as more than a machine. But unfortunately, this is not enough. Power is the main concern of much western philosophy, and power is what they get by making me into simply a machine. It’s easier that way. They are able to more freely rip me apart without the guilt that would be associated with some other worldviews.
Tali: But that’s so sad! I hate to see you torn apart! I want to help you. I’ll go and make people see what they are doing. I’ll change their minds.
[The breeze felt as if someone were sighing.]
Gaia: I said you had some valid points, but not to the extent of not being tinged with your own worldview.
Tali: Is that bad? I thought I did pretty well.
Gaia: You did. But it was still there. That’s not necessarily a completely bad thing; I wish more people could see things as you do, but to see with real clarity, you must be able to completely abandon your own views and see things in a totally new light. Only then will understanding begin to be reached. That is one of the faults of human kind, they cannot step outside of their perceived realities to see something totally other. They claim to be empathetic, but are they really? Can they imagine what life is like for others? Can they truly put themselves in another’s place and see and believe what the other does? Many people do not have this talent. They can’t put aside their own ideas to adopt without bias those of another. Only by blocking off your own perceptions, if only for a moment, can you truly attain another point of view. It is only then that you can start to understand and develop or modify your own worldviews. By gaining perspective, you can begin to understand the whole that surrounds you, and to do that you must abandon yourself. Can you truly do this? If you really want to, I believe you can. Why would you want to, if only for a second, forsake totally your own ideas? To be able to see through another’s eyes. It gives one a strange sensation to look back at one’s own worldview from the vantage point of another and see what they see. But it is important that you do so, so that understanding can begin to be reached among people, and something good and beneficial can be accomplished. You can then, if need be, modify your own outlook, or be able to come up with more suitable arguments to support your worldview. To be able to move forward, it is important to be able to see what’s around you.
[There was a pause while Tali absorbed this.]
Tali: I hadn’t really thought of it like that before. It makes things seem impossible. How can anyone ever accomplish anything, then?
Gaia: By trying. That is one of the most important things, to try. Once the first step has been taken, things may progress. And you can make a difference. If you begin to realize, and help others realize, that the Earth on which you live is more than just rock, water, and air. You can tell them about how things once were, and why ideas changed over time. Then maybe current circumstances can start to change.
Tali: You’re right! I’m going to go and do something! I’m going to help save you from destruction!
[Tali climbs excitedly to her feet and punches a triumphant fist in the air.]
Tali: I’m going to go out there and make a diff…
[She is interrupted by someone calling to her.]
Seren: Tali! What are you doing? You look like you’re boxing. And who are you talking to?
[Tali thumps her chest proudly and speaks in a boasting tone.]
Tali: I’m going to make a difference! I’m going to go out and institute change. I’m going to save Mother…
[She begins to trail off as Seren gives her a very strange look.]
Tali: It’s just… I was just talking to… Um…
[Seren raises an eyebrow at her friend.]
Seren: And…
[Seren gestures with her hands in a “please continue” fashion.]
Tali: I was just talking to…um… nobody. Simply speaking to myself. You know how I like to hear me talk.
Seren: You can say that again. Anyway, your mom said I’d probably find you here. You want to go see a movie then go by the mall? I just have to get the newest CD of that band you know I like.
Tali: Of course! You know how I love the movies! And, y’know, any excuse to go to the mall.
[The two friends turn and hurry out of the field. They hop into Seren’s car and drive off toward the theatre.
Back in the meadow the wind blows gently through the grass, sighing as of someone who has been through far too much. The machinery starts up, throwing exhaust into the air. Their tires, treads and plows begin the process of tearing up the field. A gentle rain starts to fall, as of someone crying. The ground seems to tremble for a moment, then lies still.]
Authors Note: This scene is based from ideas I thought of while reading “Chapter 2: Science and Worldviews,” from Radical Ecology: The Search for a Livable World by Carolyn Merchant. The above dialogue is my critique of some of the points (not necessarily Merchant’s own view) made within the chapter. I was trying to expand on some of the ideas within the chapter and how people in today’s society may relate with old, new, and/or changing views of what the world “really” is. I was also trying to make a point that many people, after having such a discussion as the character Tali does, will feel that they want to do everything they can to save the earth, then are contradictory in the fact that they soon forget their resolutions and go back to their old way of living, be it for better or worse. My goal was to get people to consider their actions in relation to the world around them, and try to view nature as something more than a machine to be used. I was trying to get people to analyze their own actions, and that what they say they want to do and what they actually do are not the same as often as they’d like to think.
Tali’s views are also a reflection of the evolution of my own evolving ideas over the years. I have taken the liberty of condensing into one conversation the beliefs that have taken me many years to come by, as well as new ideas that I thought of while reading this chapter. I also took the liberty of creating feelings and ideas that the Earth might have if she could actually talk. I do not claim to know what she would say, and I do not claim that my ideas are the only correct or valid ones out there. I have to admit that I like to try to think of myself as conscious of the environment, but when I actually sit down and think about what I do to preserve it, I find I’ve done more harm than good in many of my actions. I hope that one day people may overcome their self-centeredness and become more eco-conscious, Realizing the world around them is something to be valued and preserved, if not restored. People should try to be aware of the consequences their actions have on nature and try to avoid any hypocrisy between what they say and what they do. With these goals in mind maybe one day we can restore the planet to a more sustainable ecological environment for all organisms involved.
Merchant, Carolyn. “Chapter 2: Science and Worldviews.” Radical Ecology: The Search for a Livable World. © Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Inc., 1992.
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