Mankind Distanced from Nature and the Use of Earth Simply as a Resource - Term Paper Example

MANKIND DISTANCED FROM NATURE AND THE USE OF EARTH SIMPLY AS A RESOURCE By: submitted Mankind live in the world where technological achievement is unbelievable in past societies are within their grasp. This is the era of genetic engineering, space travel, and the internet. However, never before has mankind felt so helpless in the face of the forces they have created themselves. Never before have had the benefits of mankind labour threatened their precise existence: also this era of nuclear disasters, arms race, and global warming (Turner, 1980). For the first phase in history, mankind can produce enough to satisfy the needs of every head on the Earth. Despite mankind power to regulate natural world, many societies are dominated by emotions linked to the economic recession, health issues, insecurities, and military chaos (Turner, 1980). These issues overwhelm lives with the seemingly irresistible power of natural disasters. The more densely populated cities become, the more mankind’s lives are recognized by feelings of loneliness and isolation from the nature (Phillips, 2010). The more forces mankind experience to satisfy their emotion, the more they emotionally distance themselves from nature; and this distancing permits them to treat Earth simply as a resource to their needs. This is well discussed in the following paragraphs. The mankind ability to perform their tasks, to develop how they work and build on their successes, has tried to result in cumulative development of the productive forces. From the research carried out, one such advancement gave rise to class community. When community became capable of generating surplus, it also made it conceivable for a class to rise, which was liberated from the need, to generate directly and could survive from its control over the work of others (Phillips, 2010). This process was significant in order to establish and direct the productive forces; however, it was also meant that the producers, the majority of the community lost control of their labour. The emergency class society in which one class had power of control over the means of generating what the community required, led to a further division between individuals and the community to which they fit. Some forms of social life caused a wedge between the two dimensions of the self, the person and the communal, producing a separation between people’s interests and those of community as a whole (Turner, 1980). Thus, the mankind distanced from nature arose from class community. For instance, Robert Romanyshyn use metaphor in is work to elaborate these ideas. He claims that mankind have given their hearts away, a sordid boon (Romanyshyn, 2001). Sordid is the demonstration of the worst aspects of mankind nature such as greed, immorality, and selfishness. On the other hand, Boon is something that works as a blessing or benefit. Complication between the words proposes materialism is corrupt and destructive blessing that the industrial revolution has offered. It emphasised the tension between the good external and the sordid truth behind materialism. On the external, material goods bring pleasure and in many ways are a symbol of mankind progress; however, in truth, they feed the worst feature of humanity (Romanyshyn, 2001). The discipline whose duty is to describe and map the capabilities of human emotions/ mind is psychology; and psychology’s accepting of these abilities is built around the concept of intelligence. Apart from mankind psychological understanding of how they interact with the world around them, this concept has been widely applied in education and business, where test of intelligence always impacts selection and promotion. More indirectly, a psychological notion about what establishes intelligent action pervades the wider fabric of the community. This impacts common-sense ideas about what institutes mental ability, and offering certain styles of thought and action a higher status than others (Kidner, 1999). At the same time, the perception of intelligence also encapsulates and reflects certain values and priorities within industrialism. Therefore, the structure of industrialism looks like as a seamless whole, in which psychological perceptions such as intelligence derive their validity applications from consistency within industrialist exercise (Kidner, 1999). While simultaneously legitimating these exercises and postulating them appear consistent with human biological capabilities. This paper argues that the perception in its presently dominant form expresses a pathological orientation to the natural world. In other words, mankind constructive alignment with the natural order necessitates a wider recognition of human potentials. Throughout this paper, intelligence is intended to denote to a more open and undefined notion of mankind abilities, feelings, and emotions. For instance, accordingly, the planet, which was a long time ago, experienced as embodying a mysterious and God-given order became a planet of regular laws and spiritless matter, amenable to research understanding and regulate the clay from which mankind mould their destiny. The turning point in the history of science happened when researchers such as Robert Romanyshyn began to believe that a scientific hypothesis were not merely models of reality, but might actually be true (Romanyshyn, 1982). Thus, this initiated a subtle but profound change. A change in which the assumption that order must ultimately be derived from God-given natural realm, was overthrown by the view that mankind can impose on the world order which is derived from the intellect. The up surging detachment of the intellect from the rest of the world is the centre of mankind construction of human or cultural realm which always seems to stand in opposition to the natural world, and which hold power over it (Romanyshyn, 1982). The emotion to live better and have a satisfied life, humankind has been forced to labour on the Earth without consideration of the nature. The need to labour on Earth by mankind to satisfy their needs has been the only consistent aspect of all mankind societies, the everlasting nature-imposed condition of mankind existence (Turner, 1980). Mankind like all other living creature must work on the Earth for survival. Mankind labour, however, is distinguished from that of other living creatures because mankind has distanced themselves from nature (Turner, 1980). For instance, as stated by Robert Romanyshyn that mankind are beings whose job it is to dream the dream of creation advancing by being hinge where, having been drenched by the world, and the world becomes word, and the pivot where matter is inspired and spirit matters (Romanyshyn,1989). For example, a spider carries an operation that resembles those of a weaver, and a bee positions to shame many an architect in the building of her cells. However, what differentiate the most horrible architect from the greatest of the bees is that the architect raises his/her own structure in imagination/dream before he/her erects it in reality. In short, at the end of every labour-process, mankind obtains a result that already was in the mind of the labour at its initiation (Romanyshyn, 1989). Because mankind acts on Earth has distanced them from nature, they build on their successes and develop new ways of generating the things they need without consideration of the impacts on nature itself. However, working on Earth as a resource, alters not only the natural world, but also the labourer themselves (Romanyshyn, 1989). Thus acting on the external world and modifying it, mankind at the same time alters their own nature. Mankind has developed slumbering powers and compelled them to work in obedience to their sway. In short terms, labour is emotional dynamic process in which mankind Moulds and shapes the world they live in and stimulates themselves to establish and innovate without consideration of repercussions to nature itself. A perfect example of mankind labour on Earth is the deforestation. Deforestation is the dissipating Earth’s forest on an immense scale, often destroying the quality of the land. Mankind in the modern world clear out forest for many reasons; however, most of them are linked to human economic status or individual’s need to provide for their families (Phillips, 2010). The major cause of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers clear forest to provide more space for planting crops or grazing livestock. Logging operations, which generates the world’s paper and wood products, also clear innumerable trees every year. Some of the loggers functioning illegally, also construct roads to access remote forests, which lead to additional deforestation. Also, forest is cleared for the purpose of developing urban extension (Phillips, 2010). Deforestation has many deleterious impacts on the nature. The most crucial effect is the loss of habitat for millions of species (Phillips, 2010). Also, deforestation result to climate changes. Forest soils are most, but in the absence of protection from sun-blocking tree cover, they dry out quickly. In conclusion, it is difficult to overstate the significance of mankind’s clearing of the forest (Turner, 1980). The alteration of forest lands by mankind actions represents one of the major forces in global environmental modification and one crucial drivers of biodiversity loss (Turner, 1980). The effect of individuals distancing from nature has been and continues to be profound. Another prospering emotional issue mankind experience in the industrial world is the insecurity. This has resulted to mankind acting on protecting themselves whilst distancing themselves from nature (Phillips, 2010). As the world has been advancing, mankind has invented different types of weapons, including atomic and nuclear bombs. These weapons have been of immense significance in protecting mankind in their environment (Turner, 1980). Mankind has been able to build up these weapons from natural resources obtained from the Earth. Some of the substances used in the building of such weapons include plutonium and uranium. However, does mankind ever considered the negative impacts of such weapon innovation on the nature? There are many negative effects linked to the manufacturing of such type of weapons. As said in the earlier paragraphs that the alteration of nature not only impacts the nature, but also the mankind, the manufacturing of nuclear weapons have resulted to a negative effect on mankind health (Turner, 1980). Radiation released from various steps involved in the nuclear production results to mental retardation, cancer, immune destruction, congenital defects, stillbirths and many other health disorders. For instance, similar syndromes have been experienced among the employees exposed to radiation in nuclear power firms in Japan. Another negative impact of nuclear weapons production is the change of climate. Manufacture of nuclear weapons has polluted vast amount of water and soil at hundreds of nuclear weapons amenities all globally (Geary, 2011). Many of the constituents released, including cesium, uranium, benzene, plutonium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), strontium, mercury and cynide, are mutagenic and carcinogenic and remain dangerous for thousands of years. Contaminants from nuclear weapons manufacturing and testing have travelled far down-streams (Phillips, 2010). Manufacturing firms for nuclear weapons are heavily polluted, for instance, in the U.S. there are 4500 contaminated Department of Energy sites. The testings’ and productions of nuclear weapons involve the seepage of nuclear substances. Of all the action concern nuclear weapons, testing has been the foremost destructive of the environment (Phillips, 2010). Even placing test underground does not prevent atmospheric pollution. Radioactivity released from atmospheric nuclear testing, involving carbon-14, plutonium, cesium, strontium and radioactive iodine has been dispersed throughout the world. Underground test has contaminated groundwater and soil (Kidner, 1999). Moreover, continued and on-going production of nuclear power and weapons continues to form nuclear waste. The quarrying of uranium sources cause radioactive pollution of the environment and also otherwise destroys the environment. Further pollution occurs during transportation and processing of the uranium (Kidner, 1999). Generating of nuclear weapons involves the production of quantities of waste material and contamination of the atmosphere. Nuclear warfare has resulted in the whole destruction of the environment. Another mankind emotional issue is the development of nations all around the world. This development involves the construction and expansions of industries, the advancement of cities, construction of roads/infrastructures. As mankind strive to achieve these objectives, the more they became ignorant to the nature (Kidner, 1999). The Industrial Revolution started in Britain in ninety seventies and spread to remaining parts planet, starting with the U.S. Factories and use of the machinery led to mass production, which later led to the advancement of different environmental hazards (Phillips, 2010). The impact on the nature would be seen clearly only in the coming years. The custom of factories and mass production has caused depletion of certain natural resources, leaving the nature permanently destroyed (Turner, 1980). One good example of such depletion, as named earlier in a different contest, is deforestation. The absence of plantation is only compounded by the disaster of carbon emissions. Whereas plantation would release oxygen and refresh levels of healthy gases in the atmosphere, factories are releasing poisonous emissions and eradicating the source of oxygen (Turner, 1980). The contamination that has resulted from industries/factories involves not only airborne emission but also land and water pollution as well. The prime issue resulting from carbon emission and pollution is that of global warming (Kidner, 1999). The rise in temperature causes the melting of glaciers to and rising of oceans. Hence the different animal kinds are extinct as a result of global warming. The benefit of the Industrial Revolution has unquestionably been the chief production of food for the global inhabitants. The population has increased by hikes and confines due to the accessibility of food, however, at the same phase the mass production of chemically reformed food has also backed the global obesity and health problems (Turner, 1980). Health problems may also be related to the sedentary lifestyle, made conceivable by the use of factory-made domestic appliances which have made life easier for homemakers and recreational appliances (Phillips, 2010). In other words, while the Industrial Revolution was the outcome of positive modification for the industrial world, there is no uncertainty that it has wreaked havoc on the nature of the world. The diminution of natural resources, pollution, human health problems, and carbon emissions that have resulted directly from Industrial Revolution’s endeavours has been devastating for the world nature (Turner, 1980). In conclusion, the foremost tool consists within it all the prospective future ones. The first identification of the fact that the planet can be modified by conscious action contains all the future, as yet unknown, but inevitable modification (Romanyshyn,1989). Mankind have already started to create nature their own through the work of their hands, his intellect, and their imagination, will never cease (Romanyshyn,1989). Every success opens the door to unconquered territory. However, when nature is destructive, and not creative, when it is undermined under pressure, and not as the opened play of forces, when it revenues the scornful, not the flowering, of mankind’s intellectual and physical potential, then nature is a denial of its own principles and hence of the principle of mankind. In addition, industrial power is beached in epistemology and ideological selections made during past centuries. The modern self has emerged to be reliable with these selections so that the psychological perception of intelligence shows the capacity with which a moderately independent thinker manipulates the Earth, containing mostly of raw materials (Romanyshyn,1989). Researchers have explored the ways in which this idea legitimates and naturalise the manipulation of the natural planet and suggest that it also normalises a psychopathological personality configuration. They argue that alternative ideas of mankind abilities based in an establishment of and sensitivity to the natural order and intelligence rather than in a perception of intelligence as solely mankind property is necessary if educational, environmental, and advancement theory and practice are to be reliable with the needs of the natural world. References Geary, J. (2011). The secret life of metaphor and how it shapes the way mankind see the Earth. New York: HarperCollins. Kidner W, D. (1999). Nature and Human Intelligence. Human Ecology Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 10-21. Romanyshyn D. R. (1989). Technology as symptom and dream. Routledge. London. Phillips, E. B. (2010). City lights: urban-suburban life in the global society (3. ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Romanyshyn, R. D. (1982). Psychological life: from science to metaphor. Austin, Texas:University of Texas Press. Romanyshyn, R. D. (2001). Mirror and metaphor: images and stories of psychological life. Pittsburgh, P.A.: Trivium Publications. Turner, F. W. (1980). Beyond geography: the western spirit against the wilderness. New York: Viking Press. Read More