Wie über Natur sprechen?

Inhalte

“How to talk about nature?” is closely linked to the question of what “nature” is, how it is construed and in which way we act with, in or against it. It is a question that is ontological and epistemological at the same time, it is about how we imagine nature “to be” and how we conceive knowledge about nature. The ideas about this entwinement are manifold over time and in space, different cultures have developed different ways of thinking and also practices of how to deal with a culture/nature distinction. Another important conceptual issue is how nature and technology are related, in contemporary debates for instance, "nature" is often identified with "environment" and as such inescapably entangled with its cultural, political, and technological context. Is the use of technology in “nature” then a threat or an opportunity to build a genuinely sustainable world? This module seeks to answer these and other questions, by approaching “nature” with variously grounded historical and contemporary theoretical approaches. For example, the concept of “nature” was differently interpreted in ancient times, compared to modern contemporary cultures. We will probe the different usage, the scope of historical and cross-cultural depth, the semantics, the images/imaginaries, and finally, the logical coherence of “nature” concepts. This variety of topics means that the assigned readings will draw from a wide range of sources. With respect to handle current ecological and technocultural problems, a conscious reflection about “nature” seems to be required. Thus, the module should be also seen, in part, as a way to gain insight into contemporary reading, writing, and visual practices about “nature”. Participation in the accompanying excursion is encouraged.