The Philosophy of Ecology
15-21 September with Ben Woodard
@ www.massia.ee

Since Ernst Haeckel coined the term ecology in 1866 there has been no shortage of theoretical engagement with ecology and ecological problems and an acceleration of discourse has arisen since the undeniable effects of climate change. But, despite this, the relationship between philosophy and ecology remains far less clear. In continental theory there is not so much a philosophy of ecology but instead numerous loose theoretical explorations of ecology (such as ecosophy and deep ecology) culminating in recent deconstructions and ontological or (new) materialist reconstructions. The philosophy of ecology analytically understood, on the other hand, places ecological theory within the philosophy of science (especially philosophy of biology) emphasizing how ecology, as a science, should be practiced.

The overall aim of these workshops is to clarify the history and context of the various concepts which have come to pervade ecological discourse (anthropocene, extinction, vulnerability, holism, and so on). In addition each day will have an afternoon session centered on practical/pragmatic engagement with other-than human nature.

Day 1 – Life Signs: From Nature to Ecology
This module will focus on the concept of nature from the ancients, to the romantics, to its replacement by ecology in contemporary discourse as well as the relation of ecological critique to aesthetics. We will address the work of Morton, Demos, Irigaray, and Marder.

Day 2 – Scene kids: Population and Climate
This module will focus on the problem of over-population and its relation to systematic human developments (agriculture, industry, capitalism) and how deeply tied human growth is to climate change. We will address the work of Haraway, Pinto, and Tsing.

Day 3 – No Time: Ethics and Extinction
For the final module we will talk about the thinkability of extinction and whether humans have a particular ethical responsibility to save the planet with, or without, changing the human race fundamentally. We will address the work of Colebrook, Brassier, and Alaimo.