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Ecology, Religion, and Culture
RELI W4804y
Credits:4 pts.
In Collapse, Jared Diamond examines a wide range of human civilizations that have collapsed or been on the brink of collapse due to overpopulation and environmental degradation. He argues that understanding the ecological role of cultural factors, including religious beliefs and practices, are crucial if we are to negotiate the growth-limits of our own civilization. In this course we look at the interdependence of ecology, culture, and religion using a variety of critical approaches. In the first part of the course we survey historical examples of this interdependence in diverse environments: Greenland, Pacific Island Societies, Japan, and China. In Part II, we turn to the relationship between economic systems and attitudes toward the natural world. Technological, political, and economic dilemmas and alternatives are explored by a culturally diverse selection of writers and activists. In the third part of the course we focus on constructions of religious or spiritual frameworks for an ecological world-view.
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