Themes of the Humanities: Nature
Nature is the very thing that describes beauty in uniqueness in every aspect of life. As far as we can date back nature has served many purposes for humankind, whether it is for shelter, medicinal procedures, and just a sight for sore eyes for us to be able to feel its presence during the still moments of life. As far as we know science has been able to prove things in nature such as plants having lives, but the question that comes to mind is that, is nature the first thing on Earth besides people to have a soul? There are many people in the world that see nature as a building block for life. Without it we as a society would not be able to survive at all. The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the meals we consume all come from mother nature itself. As stated in the text, “Before the coming of civilization, human beings living in nature were free to roam where they wanted, settle where they wanted, and create a social order that suited their needs.” (476.15.1) When we think of nature, we often correspond it with the word “freedom” meaning things without restraint and the ability to do what is needed as we see sit for our own self-interest. Such things has also led to the word “natural” and it’s always been linked with being better for your body like natural foods that have been organically grown by just letting nature do its thing without us tampering with it by adding unnecessary chemicals and other components to make it “better” faster. Growing up I’ve been taught that everything on this Earth has a purpose no matter what, if it didn’t it wouldn’t be here in the first place.
Nature itself serves as the first form of life that God has presented before us. He entrusted us to take care of it and not to go ahead and change how it was given, but to only help it grow. According to the text, “… by the authors of the Declaration of Independence, according to which Nature, the finely tuned clock, had been created by God, who left it to be run unchanged forever and saw no need to intervene.” (480.15.2) Our attitude towards nature has shifted over the years to the point where environmentalists inform others about the importance of nature to preserve it at any cost or else it’ll be the end of society as we know it. After all, hurting mother nature is really hurting us in the long run, we might not feel some things instantly, but it is happening. Still to this day, we aren’t entirely sure of everything about nature and its wonders. People like artists take advantage of this fact in order to portray an image of nature as they see fit. According to the text, “English painter J.M.W Turner, depict nature as a force that is both terrifying and majestically beautiful.” (483–484.15.3) Knowing this shows the value and even a spiritual connection people can have towards nature, but modernization has led some people to destroy forests and ecosystems in order to monopolize, such things bring up the question of whether or not people will bring nature to the brink of extinction.
Janaro, R. P., & Althshuler, T. C. (2013). The art of being human: The humanities as a technique for living. Pearson Learning Solutions.
YouTube. 2018. The Magnificent Beauty Of Nature | HD. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUN664s7N-c> [Accessed 24 October 2020].
Integrating forests with agriculture crucial to sustainable development. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/forests/integrating-forests-with-agriculture-crucial-to-sustainable-development-59774
