Northern Arizona University/Environmental Ethics/Journals/Jonathan B's Journal

Jonathan Barlow PHI 331 (September 2nd, 2010)

Perhaps my first entry is too fragmented, I wrote this one in very much of a free-form writing style.

Journal Entry #1

“One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” This is what Camus tells us.

The land Ethic is nothing new to me, having read it before, I find myself once again reaffirming past ideas and truths. Of course, we must treat the natural world around us as we treat our human neighbors. Its not property of someone, even though the fences and walls and no trespassing signs will have you think otherwise. I remind myself, daily, that we are part of nature, no matter what these four concrete walls around me imply. Our nicely squared off buildings, our right angles, and straight lines are monuments against the natural world. The built environment is trash.

Although, myself included, we all rely on this separation. Whether it is my apartment, my car, or a tent, we put a veil between ourselves and the wilderness. This reminds me of a story. Its as when Edward Abbey throws an empty beer can out his car window while driving down a desert road. Faced with this hypocritical act, he affirms that it’s the road that shouldn’t be there. If there was no road, than there would be no opportunity to litter. We’re all hypocrites.

I ponder on a question posed to the class by the Professor – between a rabbit and a child, which do you save? For many this is easily answered. “Save the child”, of course, says the Professor and the class echoes this sentiment. Yet is it really that simple? Is that not a selfish thought? I try to think in terms of equality – both are animals, both living, breathing creatures. In terms of the environment is the right choice not the rabbit? A rabbit won’t grow up to consume and destroy its surrounding world. To exhaust the natural resources of the world is a human element. To live and die with as little impact as possible. I would save the child; the instinct of kinship is too strong in me. The scales of life are still tilted and the pyramid is still very much tiered. We’re all still hypocrites. The rabbit is not our brother or sister. It is a distant cousin, easily disregarded. Easily. Without second thought – for most of us. Is this right? Is there even an answer to this conundrum? Is Sisyphus, rolling that boulder up that mountain for eternity, really happy?