What to say about this class? From Cronon, to the nature documentaries, to video games, and everything in between, we explored nature and its portrayal in various forms of media. More amazing than the number of things we've looked is quite possibly our lack of an answer to the question, just what is nature?
Is it something within the realm of human thought and control, or is it something beyond our abilities to comprehend? Is it a benevolent deity that provides for all of our needs, or is it a destructive force that we fight with our lives? Is it something we follow, or something we oppose?
I remember in high school, the process of finding an answer on multiple choice tests involved the process of elimination, and there would usually be a choice that reads "all of the above." We've never really ruled out any of options that nature can be, and it is tempting for us to pick the answer "all of the above."
And that's not necessarily a bad choice. After all, nature can be whatever we choose it to be. Moreover, perhaps the single definitive thing we've learned isn't what nature is, but where it is. Nature is everywhere. It sounds a little cliche, a la children's TV shows, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that this class, like any good class, has made us more aware of the topic at hand. And to recognize that nature is in places we've perhaps never thought to look before--the farmer's market, video games, our backyards--is a really profound statement.
Lastly, I'd just like to say thanks to all who made up our class, and good luck on future endeavors!
~Tim Yu
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I completely agree! It's kind of frustrating for me that there is no set answer because I'm the type of person who likes to have answers to everything. However, i feel that maybe that is the point - there are just some things out in the world that there is no answer to and we just have to learn to broaden our understanding instead of seeking an actual answer.
ReplyDeleteTim: I'm afraid I would have done something wrong to make anyone believe that "nature" can be reduced to any single description or answer, so I'm glad that you (and Christina) have that puzzled, slightly awed feeling that there's much, much more to know. You all have very different intellectual backgrounds and interests, but the nature/culture divide crops up almost everywhere, and now you know how to make sense of it.
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