Setting Boundaries

Assigned Readings (5)

The Ecology of Eden

We crave protection in any form we can acquire because humans are insecure creatures. People have an inborn need for walls or boundaries. We desire a border between our bodies and the world, such as clothes, which Eisenberg calls a “second skin.” This covering extends to our houses, yards, and cities. Even certain species of animals create homes for themselves like hives and nests. Some creatures prefer a safe surrounding rather than constantly facing the elements. One could argue that “all living systems need walls or boundaries of some kind” (pg. 103). Living beings are subject to injuries and sickness when completely exposed without any safe place to rest. We take this so far as to moderate other creatures through “our man-made or man-allied ecosystems are blanketing the planet, leaving only pockets of earlier forms.” We punish the forms of life we dislike.  We label the same plant a “weed” or “flower” based on our evaluation of its worth. Eisenberg writes “it is only at the height of civilization that almost all the wild things most people see are pests” (pg. 102). Humans quickly reached the top of the food chain and now where we stand we can decide if other organisms have value. We devalue creatures that we find dangerous or unsavory. Bugs, which carry diseases, are some of the most detested living beings on this planet.