“Nature” and “Wilderness” . The Role of Conceptions of Nature in Environmental Protection

The overwhelming historical and cultural differences in conceiving nature would suggest that such conceptions are contingent cultural products superimposed on an “objective” reality in a human attempt to make sense of it. As such, there could be no criteria in deciding between rival conceptions of nature, and this would imply their utter uselessness in environmental protection. Contrary to this, I will aim to show that conceptions of reality are never as random and as ideal cultural products as a constructivist would suggest. First of all, because conceptions of nature are rooted in complex environmental experiences, shaped and influenced by them. Second, because those experiences, in turn, are shaped and influenced by the actual surroundings in which they occur. I will illustrate both these points through a critical analysis of the popular environmental conception of wilderness. The more practical stake and question will regard the role of conceptions of nature in environmental protection. Thus in the final part of this paper I will address the importance of conceptual pluralism in ensuring a more efficient, democratic, and just approach to environmental problems.

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