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Environmental Values

Dominating Nature

Environmental Values 16(2007): 513-528. doi: 10.3197/096327107X243268

ABSTRACT

Something is wrong with the desire to dominate nature. In this paper, I explain both the causes and solution to anti-environmental attitudes within the framework of Hegel's master-slave dialectic. I argue that the master-slave dialectic (interpreted as a metaphor, rather than literally) can provide reasons against taking an attitude of domination, and instead gives reasons to seek to be worthy of respect from nature, though nature cannot, of course, respect us. I then discuss what the social and economic conditions of moving to a post-domination philosophy appear to be.

KEYWORDS: Hegel, master-slave dialectic, metaphorical recognition, surrogate recognition, deep ecology, domination

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