- Aesthetic reasons to preserve biodiversity:

A. What is Biophilia?

E. O. Wilson (1984) defined biophilia as “an innate tendency of humans to focus on life and lifelike processes…

A. What is Biophilia?

- There are four elements:

1. Humans are interested in living things…

A. What is Biophilia?

- There are four elements:

1. Humans are interested in living things…

2. There is an adaptive benefit to this interest that has been selected for over hominid evolution…

A. What is Biophilia?

- There are four elements:

1. Humans are interested in living things…

2. There is an adaptive benefit to this interest that has been selected for over hominid evolution…

3. This relationship influences how we learn …

A. What is Biophilia?

- There are four elements:

1. Humans are interested in living things…

2. There is an adaptive benefit to this interest that has been selected for over hominid evolution…

3. This relationship influences how we learn …

4. And who we are …

B. Why is biophilia relevant to modern humans?

- three elements:

1. Pragmatic: it works – nature IS relevant, and its contribution to culture is interesting.

Aztec God Quetzalcoatl, as an Ouroborus

B. Why is biophilia relevant to modern humans?

- three elements:

1. Pragmatic: it works – nature IS relevant, and its contribution to culture is interesting.

2. Artistic: Because it may help us express our humanity more fully…

B. Why is biophilia relevant to modern humans?

- three elements:

1. Pragmatic: it works – nature IS relevant, and its contribution to culture is interesting.

2. Artistic: Because it may help us express our humanity more fully…

3. Ecological: “…to the degree that we come to understand other organisms, we will place greater value on them, and on ourselves” (Wilson, 1984).

To save biodiversity, we must appreciate its relevance to our mind and our cultures.

Let’s examine the Evidence for Biophilia in:

Humanities

Social Sciences

Natural Sciences

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘A’ is for _____________.

‘B’ is for _____________.

‘C’ is for _____________.

‘D’ is for _____________.

‘E’ is for _____________.

‘F’ is for _____________.

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘A’ is for _____________.

- antidisestablishmentarianism?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘A’ is for _____________.

- antidisestablishmentarianism?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘A’ is for _____________.

- Antidisestablishmentarianism?

- Apple?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘A’ is for _____________.

- Antidisestablishmentarianism?

- Apple? - Airplane?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘B’ is for _____________.

- Ball?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘B’ is for _____________.

- Ball? - Bee?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘C’ is for _____________.

- Cat?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘C’ is for _____________.

- Cat? - Car?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘D’ is for _____________.

- Dog?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘D’ is for _____________.

- Dog? - Duck?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘E’ is for _____________.

- Elephant?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘F’ is for _____________.

- Fox?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘F’ is for _____________.

- Fox? - Fish?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘A’ is for apple or airplane.

‘B’ is for ball, not bee (ambiguous?)

‘C’ is for cat or car.

‘D’ is for dog or duck.

‘E’ is for elephant.

‘F’ is for fox or fish.

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

A ‘first alphabet’ book…..

‘A’ is for apple or airplane.

‘B’ is for ball, not bee. Living or

‘C’ is for cat or car. “life-like”

‘D’ is for dog. Even if they are NOT

‘E’ is for elephant. commonly encountered -

‘F’ is for fox or fish. Why learn “elephant?”

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

Adjectives and similes…..

Sly as _________

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

Adjectives and similes…..

Sly as _________

a fox…

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Language

Adjectives and similes…..

busy as __________?

Strong as ________ ?

Weak as _________ ?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities – Language

Verbs:

To ‘cow’ To ‘quail’

To ‘clam up’ To ‘weasel’

To ‘outfox’ To ‘hound’

To ‘hog’ To ‘grouse’

To ‘fawn’ To ‘buffalo’

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities – Language

Summary –

“Human intelligence is bound to the presence of animals. They are the means by which cognition takes shape and they are the instruments for imagining abstract ideas and qualities…they are basic to the development of speech and thought.”

-Shepard 1978

Trivial examples or basic, fundamental examples?

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Art

-Language and the arts are dependent on natural imagery to evoke a particular emotion…..

Autumn Landscape at Dusk – Vincent Van Gogh

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Art

-… or misrepresents ‘a natural view’ to spur our attention…

“Tete d’une femme Lisant”

-Pablo Picasso

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Religion

Animals are our cultural icons, we use them for tribal affiliation, both trivial….

NFL Football Team Mascots:

Cardinals Falcons Ravens Bills Panthers

Bears Bengals Broncos Lions Colts

Jaguars DolphinsEagles Seahawks

Rams

15 of 32 teams (not that it helps….)

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Religion

And significant…

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Religion

Animals are central to the myths that give our lives meaning and our culture context.

In particular, the serpent figures

prominently as an icon of power,

knowledge, life, and death.

Egyptians – the Earth as an

Egg, grasped by a serpent

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Religion

Middle East – Judaism – Eve and the serpent

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Religion

Greeks – Gaia (Earth) was protected by her son, Python, who lived at the center of the world and held it together

(image from Greek alchemist text, 15th century)

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Religion

Australian aboriginal culture – the rainbow serpent – art dates from 6000 years ago

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Religion

Norse –dragons and Jormungand, the world serpent – (an ouroborus).

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities - Religion

Aztecs – Quetzalcoatl, the ‘bird-serpent’ or “feathered serpent”

C. Evidence for Biophilia in the Humanities – Cultural Summary

"Animals are far more fundamental to our thinking than we supposed. They are not just a part of the fabric of thought:

they are a part of the loom." (Peter Steinhart, 1989).

The loom from which we fashion our cultures…

(Native American ouroboric image)

Navajo Dance

Silver tip fox cape with foot clasp

C. Evidence of Biophilia in the Social Sciences - Psychology

- phobias are usually related to natural environmental cues: (snakes, spiders, water, closed spaces, heights)

(and other primates that encounter snakes are ophidophobes)

C. Evidence of Biophilia in the Social Sciences - Psychology

- even though cultures have produced more deadly risks

C. Evidence of Biophilia in the Social Sciences - Sociology

-habitat selection – humans with the resources build homes on promontories near water, with a view

The Vanderbilt Estate, “The Breakers”, Newport, RI

C. Evidence of Biophilia in the Social Sciences - Sociology

Societies construct gardens, parks, and green spaces in urban environments – like Central Park, NYC.

C. Evidence of Biophilia in the Social Sciences - Sociology

We need nature, and we take it with us into man-made environments; it is a part of what we are, and it has shaped who we are and how we identify ourselves, individually and

collectively.

Rooftop Garden, Tokyo

C. Evidence of Biophilia in the Natural Sciences - Physiology

- contact with people helps development and healing

- contact with animals helps stress and healing, and gives us someone who depends upon us..

C. Evidence of Biophilia in the Natural Sciences - Physiology

- vistas - people with a natural view are less stressed and are more productive.

- inner city children with a view of a park are able to concentrate in school and are better learners.

What are the ramifications of biophilia?

Humans need nature as a reference to completely express our humanity. It is at once the “other” and the “self”.

To lose it, or to simplify it, will profoundly affect what we are.