Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

vision of conservation was profoundly
Muir’s
to the extent of seeming religious, and
ideological
with the utilitarian perspective of Gifford
clashed
the first Chief Forester of the United
Pinchot,
Muir emphasized the sacredness of natural
States.
and systems, while Pinchot argued
environments
the responsible, sustainable and equitable use
for
natural resources for the benefit of all citizens.
of
Muir might be characterized as a naturereligionist,
Whereas
Pinchot was a politically progressive
who wanted to help the poor, promote
Christian
and guard against powerful business
democracy
that irresponsibly extracted natural
interests
They thus had much in common, but
resources.
and Pinchot clashed over conflicting values
Muir
views on the management of public land.
and
Pinchot argued that sheep should be able
Whereas
graze the land in Yosemite, Muir considered
to
a desecration of a sacred space. In response,
this
believed Muir “had failed to apprehend
Pinchot
religious duty to develop natural resources for
the
good of humankind” (Taylor 2005).
the
Nash, a historian, described this clash
Roderick
a “spiritual watershed” and evidence that the
as
cult” had become a powerful voice
“wilderness
environmental politics (1967). Muir’s stance
in
conflicts over land management for
influenced
around the world, often excluding the
decades
People, the earliest stewards of the
Indigenous
from the debate entirely and displacing them
lands,
the natural resources they had relied on for
from
The sad irony is that these peoples often
millennia.
nature-oriented religious beliefs and traditions
had
begin with, which called for the sustainable and
to
To what extent has religious knowledge been
1.
to remain relevant to changing world
able
To what extent can we say that religions
2.
beneficent or destructive
promoted
Are some religions intrinsically more
3.
friendly than others?
environmentally
How do the doctrines and traditions of
4.
religions affect whether they can
different
Do some religions have inherent advantages
5.
disadvantages in guiding communities
or
Do unprecedented environmental
6.
call for:
challenges
the production of new religious
(a)
knowledge
the reinterpretation of existing
(b)
knowledge
religious
(c) something else?
III. Methods and tools
III. Methods and tools
“May we live long and die out”
The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement aims to
phase out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to
reproduce, to allow Earth’s biosphere to return to good
health. To what extent is this movement religious?
Follow the link to nd out more.
Search terms: VHEMT org
For reflection
Tackling challenges
realities?
relationships with nature?
help or adapt to the climate emergency?
towards sustainable ways of living?
ethical use of land and natural resources.
Making connections
Conservation as colonialism
Section III.3 reveals how the Abrahamic world
religions have been held up to scrutiny for allegedly
underpinning extractive and/or anthropocentric
framings of humankind’s relationship with the
environment. In Chapter 5 we engage with the idea
that Indigenous knowledge in general, and traditional
ecological knowledge (TEK) in particular, have been
increasingly embraced by the conservation community.
159