AR104 Lecture 16: AR104: Environment (March 1)
10 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Physis= nature in the sense of natural law, also refers to creation. The word ecology is derived from oikos (home) and logos (word or study) but the term is a modern coinage as the greeks did not formally study ecology. Complex and contradictory attitudes but broader cultural norms encouraged moderation and to avoid pleonexia (desire to have too much) Pictured beside: temple of apollo where there was a warning sign saying nothing in excess . Greek thought was very anthropocentric (centred around human beings) Aristotle believed because animals were without logos (reason) or faith, they did not require just treatment and could be exploited. There were some critiques towards the anthropocentric school of thought- for instance the vegetarian pythagoreans. Socrates and plato emphasized the realm of ideas and law and how they were dominant over nature and more important philosophically. Belief existed that there was a golden age followed by a descent to something much worse.
