Abstract
Abstract Though William James was not an ecologist, his intellectual contributions are rich in implications for an informed philosophy of ecology. James repeatedly called attention to the importanc...
Highlights
Self and WorldJames (1897/1979) argued that all genuinely real beings experience that which is external (p. 111)
Though William James was not an ecologist, his intellectual contributions are rich in implications for an informed philosophy of ecology
Ecology as a formal discipline regularly offered in university curricula surfaced long after William James did his work, but scholars point to identifiable affinities between ecological perspectives and Jamesian metaphysics
Summary
James (1897/1979) argued that all genuinely real beings experience that which is external (p. 111). He spoke critically and pejoratively of some of the I-thou relations commonly encountered in classic theistic beliefs He had little patience for what he called a ‘‘theoretic drinking up’’ of God or a ‘‘chimerical speculative conquest’’ of God James believed that sensitivity to otherness with a special focus on I-it and I-thou relations and with transformations from object to subject relations can serve to promote conscious connections to other forms of sentience Such connections, from a Jamesian perspective, are enhanced by spiritual, animistic, and mind attribution approaches to nature illustrated in contemporary work by scholars such as Roszak (1992), Snell, Simmonds, and Webster (2011), and Tam (2015).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
