What is the relationship between Nature and Culture? Is human culture a mere artifact of nature, akin to a beehive, a spider's web or beaver's dam, or is it a unique construction stemming from an equally unique reflective consciousness -- a "human nature?" Do humans act on nature or within nature? Are current human attempts to dominate nature through cultural constructions a natural development or an aberration in the evolution of Homo sapiens?
Is it the case that we once lived in a more harmonious relationship with nature, and that some human cultures still do? How might the ways we think about nature affect the ways we act upon nature? How do cultural traditions of patriarchy and hierarchy affect human relations with the other-than-human? What roles should science have in shaping public policy on environmental issues? How might science, religion, philosophy and other realms of knowledge better contribute to the creation of a global citizenry informed about and engaged with environmental issues?
Explore these questions and more at the AGLSP Annual Conference.
