Katherine Quiroz
Class Reading:
From Nature to Creation
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"the way we name and narrate the world determines how we are going to live within it. In other words, how we characterize what things 'are,' what philosophers call the 'being' or ontology of things, also determines what we are going to do with them." -pg 18
Wirzba goes on to narrate the example of how naming and labeling has an effect on the way that we think of things with his "weed vs. flower" example. He says that someone points out a plant to you and says that it is a weed, you will immediately have a negative feeling towards that plant. Therefore, you probably won't care so much about whether it gets trampled, thrown away, or killed. On the other hand, if someone hands you that same plant and says that it is a flower, you will have a more positive and protective feeling of over it. You probably would want to nurture it, take care of it, display it, and treasure it.
As a student of Communication Studies, I find this idea particularly interesting. More often than not, the language that we use directly affects our behaviors. I have seen examples of this through so many of my classes, research, and studies. So, this can definitely be applied to our behavior toward and treatment of nature. Is there a practical solution to this "language" problem in regards to nature? If so, how can we change the language that we have been using for thousands of years in order to be reflective of nature's worth??
Wirzba goes on to narrate the example of how naming and labeling has an effect on the way that we think of things with his "weed vs. flower" example. He says that someone points out a plant to you and says that it is a weed, you will immediately have a negative feeling towards that plant. Therefore, you probably won't care so much about whether it gets trampled, thrown away, or killed. On the other hand, if someone hands you that same plant and says that it is a flower, you will have a more positive and protective feeling of over it. You probably would want to nurture it, take care of it, display it, and treasure it.
As a student of Communication Studies, I find this idea particularly interesting. More often than not, the language that we use directly affects our behaviors. I have seen examples of this through so many of my classes, research, and studies. So, this can definitely be applied to our behavior toward and treatment of nature. Is there a practical solution to this "language" problem in regards to nature? If so, how can we change the language that we have been using for thousands of years in order to be reflective of nature's worth??
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