Page 204 - Contribution To Phenomenology

PHENOMENOLOGY AND ECOFEMINISM 197

is seen in terms of individuals, disconnected atoms seen as having only
an accidental connection to other parts of the systems of which they are
a part, if the system is considered at all. This has led to a separation
of people from nature, a separation of people from each other, and a
division within the person with mind having its significance apart from
body. Mental life was itself even seen as divided, with intellect separated
from emotion and will. When things are thought of as separate units,
there is a failure to see the richly complex unity, composed of many
webs of interdependent organisms and functions, which is the system of
nature.
With atomistic thinking the land is not thought of as the foundation
on which all life rests. The land can be seen as merely real estate, lots
and acreas to buy and sell, to use without regard for the life which is
dependent upon the land. The dredging of a canal is not seen in relation
to the swamp which may be destroyed. The swamp is not seen as a
fertile source of biological diversity. The hunters who killed passenger
pigeons treated each bird as an individual thing, and unwittingly destroyed
a species.
An important aspect of atomistic thinking is the defining of things in
terms of separation from other things, rather than in terms of connection
and interdependency. This type of definition defines a species on the
basis of what is unique to it, neglecting the qualities which it shares with
other species. This exaggerates the importance of the point of difference
as it neglects the shared attributes which can tell us most about the
nature of the species. So it was that the human was thought of as the
thinking animal, even though thinking is not all that we are. The effect
of this is to make light of the other qualities of humanness, the feelings,
hungers, lusts, vulnerabilities, and enjoyments which also make us what
we are.
Atomistic thinking made it easier for us to focus on narrowly defined
goals and to overlook "side effects." We could see the dry land for
farming which our drainage canal could provide, but we did not see or
could easily ignore the undesirable consequences of making the canal.
Atomistic thinking gives us focus, but it makes us lose our bearings. We
can be clear about our steps while we are blind in regard to our journey.
We could see the dry land for agriculture and development in southeast
Florida, without seeing that we would need to undo and correct our
canals in a few years. We humans did not see ourselves adequately, so