Nonmoral Nature - Questions/Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

28 Feb. 2005

 

 

STHEPHEN JAY GOULD

Nonmoral Nature

 

Questions for Critical Reading:

 

 

 

3. What does it mean to anthropomorphize nature?

   What are some concrete results of doing so?

 

 

The meaning of anthropomorphizing nature is that of applying the behavior of animals in nature to human terms. For example, theologians in nineteenth-century thought that the insects’ act of predation was seen as comparable to the acts of human thugs who toy with their victims, or the acts of executioners in Renaissance England who inflicted as much pain as possible on traitors before killing them. This model is the kind of lens through which the behavior of predators was interpreted and understood (Gould). Moreover, they rationalized animals’ behavior made to reflect the entirety, which is God. Thus, they created the false notions that the cruel insect also comes to stand for the nature of God. Therefore, there were huge contradictions by theological arguments.

 

 

 

5. How might the behavior of the ichneumon wasp put at stake any genuine religious questions of today?

 

 

The behavior of the ichneumon wasp might be the questions for today’s religion that it can be a role of evil as Satan. There could be two different perspectives on this issue. one might retain the principle that nature holds moral messages for humans, but reverse the usual perspective and claim that morality consists in understanding the ways of nature and doing the opposite (Gould). The former stays in full awareness on natural phenomena interpreted from anthropomorphizing nature. However, the latter focuses not on surface of secular facts but on insight of the universal good enlightened through self meditation.

 

 

 

6. What counterassertions can you make to Gould’s view that nature is nonmoral?

 

 

          I have a different perspective of nature from Gould’s view that nature is nonmoral. Nature has consisted of various species that sustains ecosystems. Each species conserves its quantity dwelling with others; sometimes, the relationship in between species seems predators and preys. However, there is a whole ecological balance among them, so that nature maintains in harmony by itself. Therefore, nature isn’t a matter of moral or nonmoral, but reflects the entirety, the universal good.

 

 

 

 

 

Suggestions for Writing:

 

 

 

2. Is the fact of such pain, suffering, and apparently senseless cruelty a religious issue? If so, in what way? If not, demonstrate why.

 

 

           The fact of such pain, suffering, and apparently senseless cruelty is not a religious issue. These are coming from five senses which are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Thus, these are the external ideologue of the secular world that the mind conceives imaginary idea about the phenomena. When one restrains all the senses and obtains mindfulness through meditation, there is no longer in pain. Therefore, the fact of such pain is not a religious issue, but a secular notion that can be eliminated through achieving individual enlightenment.