The interrelationships of nature based on Thoreau's Walden and Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis

James Lovelock and Henry Thoreau propose a world view based on the connections between an individual and their personal landscape. This viewpoint is an alternative to the more prevalent world view of our mass society. The pervasive outlook disregards these connections and concentrates instead on isolationism. By viewing elements of the natural world as isolated entities, individuals are unable to comprehend the larger context, or environment of which these entities are a part. William James, a philosopher of the early twentieth century, poses a philosophical foundation which reinforces Lovelock's and Thoreau's ideas. James' philosophy is "pragmatism, proposing ideas of relational thinking and the absence of absolutes. Lovelock and Thoreau il1ustrate the philosophy of James in the exploration of three concepts: (1) Beauty; (2) Spirituality; and, (3) Human Experience and Knowledge. The acknowledgment and internalization of these concepts leads to a different understanding of an individual's place in the world. Since this conception is not the prevalent viewpoint of the general public, this difference has the potential of creating a communication gap between student and professor, and between landscape architect and client. The implications of this communication gap are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Landscape Architecture

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Landscape Architecture

Department dc:contributor.department

Landscape Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1994

Author dc:creator

• Meyers, Amanda

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Bork, Dean R.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Jacobson, Wendy R.
• Barrow, Mark V. Jr.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-06112009-063601

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/43170