Ecologist and writer Carl Safina discusses the disconnect between Western thought and nature, rooted in Plato's philosophy. The podcast explores cultural beliefs, environmental crises, financial valuations of nature, and the negative impacts of pursuing power. It highlights the importance of empathy towards animals and reevaluating societal structures based on philosophical beliefs.
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Western Dualism
Western culture, influenced by Plato, views humans as superior, the world as a resource, and prioritizes the afterlife over Earth's well-being.
This dualistic view separates humans from nature, influencing religious traditions and shaping our relationship with the environment.
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Consequences of Disconnection
Domesticated species like chickens and livestock now dominate, with wild mammals comprising only 4% of the total.
Modern education emphasizes consumerism, disconnecting us from the sources of our food, water, and materials.
insights INSIGHT
Plato's Influence
Plato's dualism, emphasizing a perfect realm beyond the material world, influenced Western religions and shaped our view of nature.
This dualism fostered the idea of a single creator and a perfect afterlife, devaluing the Earth and other living beings.
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I like to think of intellectual discourse as the entangled root network of an ancient tree: everything is connected to everything else. Not so much a linear march of progress but a gnarled and entangled mess from which fruits bear. This is why, despite thousands of years, some ideas don’t travel very far, but double back and loop themselves around other roots, creating something that feels solid, but may be rotten at its core.
This week I’m joined by ecologist and writer Carl Safina who has spent the past few years researching that root network of cultural beliefs from all over the world, discovering profound similarities and critical differences. He explains that the main difference between Western thought and most other cultures is the disconnectedness of humankind from nature, and he traces this back to Plato’s philosophy of absolute ideals.
This is my second episode with Carl. We first spoke over two years ago when he was deep in the process of researching his latest book, Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe. That conversation was truly fundamental to my own thinking, so it was a real joy to have Carl back on the show now that the book is out. This conversation goes begins with Plato, takes us through the delightful common threads that weave together most human cultures, and ends with Carl explaining how this rift between humans and nature results in the perverse incentives in our psychotic system today.
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