Isis taught philosophy at Lancaster University and for the Open University then UCLan. Now she is based at Writtle College as head of Learning and Teaching and at Crossfields Institute as Head of Faculty for Agroecology and Transdisciplinary Studies. Ever since her doctoral work comparing Goethe’s science and Husserlian phenomenology, Isis’ research has centred on questions to do with the human being’s relationship to nature and to the world. She has published in journals such as The Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology, Ethics and the Environment, and Ethics, Place, and Environment and is also an associate editor of the journal Environmental Values.
She has been teaching in HE (Philosophy) since 1991 and involved in developing innovative teaching practices. She has run training courses and workshops on higher education and has an active interest in education of the whole person and a specialism in assessment. Address: Castle
Writtle College
Chelmsford
CM1 3RR
UK
How should we live in the world such that we have culturally enriching and worthwhile lives when ... more How should we live in the world such that we have culturally enriching and worthwhile lives when the material and social fabric of our situation does nothing to nurture or sustain the kinds of relationships with each other and with nature that would seem to be a prerequisite for a healthy life? This chapter examines the claim that there are compensatory benefits - such as cosmopolitanism and increasing self reflection - that mitigate the psychological and social problems of living un-embedded lives in placeless environments. It then proposes the solution that simply by making things, actively engaging in things and, particularly, by mending things, we can rediscover the necessary environmental virtues to reintegrate ourselves into the material fabric of the world. Why this should work has to do with the transformatory power of active, purposive engagement with the material realm. Moreover, we can do this even in the midst of contemporary 'thinned out' spaces to make them into enriching places.
Comparing the nature encounters of Gerald Durrell with our current climate of 'stranger danger', ... more Comparing the nature encounters of Gerald Durrell with our current climate of 'stranger danger', health and safety neurosis, and the beguilement and blunting of the senses by technological advances presents a worrying picture of a new era of nature and culture deprivation. However, even in some of the most unlikely places, a rich engagement with nature can be rekindled. Central to such recovery is access to nearby nature that allows practical engagement rather than merely detatched on-looking. In my conclusion I outline examples where this has been made possible in the challenging settings of socially deprived urban areas.
The picturesque is usually interpreted as an admiration of ‘picture-like’, and thus inauthentic, ... more The picturesque is usually interpreted as an admiration of ‘picture-like’, and thus inauthentic, nature. In contrast, this paper sets out an interpretation that is more in accord with the contemporary love of wildness. I briefly cover some garden history in order to contextualize the discussion and proceed by reassessing the picturesque through the eighteenth century works of Price and Watelet. I identify six themes in their work (variety, intricacy, engagement, time, chance, and transition) and show that, far from forcing a ‘picture-like’ stereotype on nature, the picturesque guided the way for a new appreciation of wildness – one that resonates with contemporary environmental philosophy.
Abstract
Through a number of examples of environmental interventions this paper makes a claim th... more Abstract
Through a number of examples of environmental interventions this paper makes a claim that the unauthorised nature of some interventions is an integral part of their aesthetic quality. This does not mean that all such interventions have these qualities only that the regulation of what can be done where and by whom could endanger the production of a rich seam of aesthetic experience, such as edginess and whimsy, and the aesthetic engagement of artists and the general public with places.
As a philosopher working in the Western tradition I want to think through a problem that arises f... more As a philosopher working in the Western tradition I want to think through a problem that arises from the heart of that tradition. Possible solutions to the problem of dualism that come from a materialist monist perspective are sometimes rejected out of a misunderstanding that comes from the sheer depth and resilience of dualist thinking. Using personal experience drawn from Goethean observation I here set out another way of thinking about materialism. My central claim arises from an essentially simple question. We know that substance dualism (the idea that the world is made up of two types of substance: mind and matter) is fraught with problems, not least of which is the question of how these two substances interact. Moreover, the notion of two substances always seems to bring in its wake an evaluative component, where one substance (for us in the Western tradition: mind) is seen as better than the other substance. Attempts to solve the problem of interaction by creating a form of monism that basically claims that there is, in fact, only one substance have been unnecessarily hampered, I believe, by the idea that the one substance left remaining has to be either like mind or like matter as conceived by dualism. But why so? If the dualism model is wrong, then why carry over its interpretation of either mind or matter? And if we don’t do this, then we are left with a pressing question, what is the real nature of the world and what is my relationship to it?
I want to explore this question through my own experience of encountering the world with the guidance of the 18th century poet and scientist, J.W. von Goethe. To do this will involve adopting a certain autobiographical mode. I also want to do this in such a way that the reader could follow the way I have set this out and, should it seem inviting or important enough, test it for themselves with a phenomenon of their choice.
Philosophical concerns about restoring landscapes often revolve around two, connected, issues. F... more Philosophical concerns about restoring landscapes often revolve around two, connected, issues. First is the idea that a restored landscape, even if it is a perfect replica, has lost some of its value. The claim might appeal to a break in the continuity of the landscape and that continuity is part of what is valuable. Alternatively, often in the case of natural landscapes, the appeal is that any human manipulation is inauthentic; here the analogy is sometimes made with the art world and the restoration is deemed a fake. The second problem highlighted in philosophical debates is that the greater the success of restoration projects the more threatened do natural landscapes become: any claim that something must be preserved in its pristine or historically layered state is undermined by the claim that it could be put back again.
Initially I discuss two opposing potential responses to these claims: 1. that humans are part of nature and thus cannot be an alien dominating force outside of nature and 2. that nature is itself a social construct. Neither of these positions is entirely satisfactory, but what they jointly reveal is the reality of our fluid and multifaceted relationship to the world. The paper then goes on to show that Elliot’s claim of the additional value of pristine nature is actually based, not on an inherent value but is dependent on the human valuation of it. I propose an alternative that places the source of value in the thing itself and thus arrive at a positive role for restoration as the setting in train and guiding of positive relationships above and beyond their social or public amenity value to us.
Reference to Merleau-Ponty’s ideas surfaces in environmental thinking from time to time. This pap... more Reference to Merleau-Ponty’s ideas surfaces in environmental thinking from time to time. This paper examines whether, and in what way, his ideas could be helpful to that thinking. In order to arrive at a conclusion I examine in detail and attempt to clarify the notions of ‘Flesh’ and ‘Earth’ in order to see if they can carry the meanings that commentators sometimes attribute to them. With a clearer outline of what he was saying in place, I suggest that the new ontology that Merleau-Ponty introduces could help to transform environmental thinking, but that careful argumentation is required to show this.
Literature on place makes use of concepts like authenticity and is often structured around a crit... more Literature on place makes use of concepts like authenticity and is often structured around a critique of homogeneity or placelessness. This critique is reinforced by the discourse of conservation biology with its emphasis on protecting biodiversity and condemning some non-native species. However, a common emotional response of humans, when they are displaced, is to make where they are like where they felt at home. The debate around invasive species needs careful handling for both ecological and social reasons. This paper addresses a gap in that debate by taking account of the emotional involvement of humans with plants and their caring for the immediate environment through the activity of gardening.
Ocularcentrism is the term used to express the emphasis that Western culture places on the visual... more Ocularcentrism is the term used to express the emphasis that Western culture places on the visual sense. The claim is not just that we tend to use our eyes more than other senses, but that we value knowledge gained through the visual sense more than that gained by hearing, smell, touch and the kinaesthetic sense. An additional feature of the concept is that this valuing of sight has determined the way we understand knowledge, and what counts as knowledge, as that which can be construed visually. Indeed our terminology for thoughts, concepts, and ideas uses visual metaphors . We see, we have insights, we speculate and this style of thinking will of course have an impact on what we look for and the kinds of evidence we accept as yielding knowledge. I will briefly outline some of the historical and conceptual pointers to the idea of ocularcentrism. This will provide a framework within which to examine a statement by Walter Ong about the propensity to turn all that is seen into surfaces - even interiors. Ong's critique extends to what he sees as a necessary superficialising of our encounters with the world, and each other, through the tying of abstract visualism to our idea of reality. I will explore three examples of encounters with interiors which will underline our usual visual dominance and experiment with giving attention to the other senses for a more rounded account of the experience. The examples will then be used to explicate two aspects of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology. One, the experience of our being "caught in the fabric of the world", and two, the possibilities of a reappraisal of the visual, in its experienced form, as including depth, colour and communication with the other senses.
In this paper we discuss ethical and aesthetic questions in relation to the garden practice of to... more In this paper we discuss ethical and aesthetic questions in relation to the garden practice of topiary. We begin by considering the ethical concerns arising from the uneasiness some appreciators might feel when experiencing topiary as a manipulation or contortion of natural processes. We then turn to ways in which topiary might cause an 'aesthetic affront' through the humanizing effects of sentimentality and falsification of nature (most often found in representational rather than abstract topiary). Our contention is that successful topiary emerges through a dynamic and positive relationship between topiarist and tree, where the gardener works with nature's forms instead of in strong opposition to them. Appreciation of successful topiary, we shall argue, is marked by an experience of both the tree as living thing and the artifice which has shaped it.
This paper will demonstrate the method of Goethean observation as a means of surveying and apprai... more This paper will demonstrate the method of Goethean observation as a means of surveying and appraising landscape which allows a role for a schooled subjectivity. Similarities between this method and phenomenological studies will be made. To explore what Goethe’s scientific method is, the first section of this paper discusses the Goethean method as taught by the School of Life Science. I then move on to the situation of attempting to apply the method as a means to understand the Genius Loci of a specific place. The final section records what happens when the same place is then revisited. The method, as negotiated by the group applying it, is examined by describing the experience and examining the intersubjective consistencies and discrepancies that arose within the group. In conclusion I suggest the way in which this method could be used to approach landscape in an informed way that is also sensitive to the phenomenon of the place itself.
This paper addresses some issues that arise from a nexus of ideas that is sometimes called Genius... more This paper addresses some issues that arise from a nexus of ideas that is sometimes called Genius Loci, sometimes spirit of place and sometimes sense of place. This is a very old notion that has resurfaced and is undergoing a reformulation. The importance of this notion for the ethics of building rests in particular interpretations that see spirit of place as something about a place that demands we respect it and work alongside it in terms of architectural design, building practice and appropriate daily use. However, this notion is ambiguous and variously expressed by writers in many fields of enquiry. This proliferation of interpretations and uses does nothing to help the development of a robust idea that could inform ethical building, though it may point to a necessary ambiguity.
How should we live in the world such that we have culturally enriching and worthwhile lives when ... more How should we live in the world such that we have culturally enriching and worthwhile lives when the material and social fabric of our situation does nothing to nurture or sustain the kinds of relationships with each other and with nature that would seem to be a prerequisite for a healthy life? This chapter examines the claim that there are compensatory benefits - such as cosmopolitanism and increasing self reflection - that mitigate the psychological and social problems of living un-embedded lives in placeless environments. It then proposes the solution that simply by making things, actively engaging in things and, particularly, by mending things, we can rediscover the necessary environmental virtues to reintegrate ourselves into the material fabric of the world. Why this should work has to do with the transformatory power of active, purposive engagement with the material realm. Moreover, we can do this even in the midst of contemporary 'thinned out' spaces to make them into enriching places.
Comparing the nature encounters of Gerald Durrell with our current climate of 'stranger danger', ... more Comparing the nature encounters of Gerald Durrell with our current climate of 'stranger danger', health and safety neurosis, and the beguilement and blunting of the senses by technological advances presents a worrying picture of a new era of nature and culture deprivation. However, even in some of the most unlikely places, a rich engagement with nature can be rekindled. Central to such recovery is access to nearby nature that allows practical engagement rather than merely detatched on-looking. In my conclusion I outline examples where this has been made possible in the challenging settings of socially deprived urban areas.
The picturesque is usually interpreted as an admiration of ‘picture-like’, and thus inauthentic, ... more The picturesque is usually interpreted as an admiration of ‘picture-like’, and thus inauthentic, nature. In contrast, this paper sets out an interpretation that is more in accord with the contemporary love of wildness. I briefly cover some garden history in order to contextualize the discussion and proceed by reassessing the picturesque through the eighteenth century works of Price and Watelet. I identify six themes in their work (variety, intricacy, engagement, time, chance, and transition) and show that, far from forcing a ‘picture-like’ stereotype on nature, the picturesque guided the way for a new appreciation of wildness – one that resonates with contemporary environmental philosophy.
Abstract
Through a number of examples of environmental interventions this paper makes a claim th... more Abstract
Through a number of examples of environmental interventions this paper makes a claim that the unauthorised nature of some interventions is an integral part of their aesthetic quality. This does not mean that all such interventions have these qualities only that the regulation of what can be done where and by whom could endanger the production of a rich seam of aesthetic experience, such as edginess and whimsy, and the aesthetic engagement of artists and the general public with places.
As a philosopher working in the Western tradition I want to think through a problem that arises f... more As a philosopher working in the Western tradition I want to think through a problem that arises from the heart of that tradition. Possible solutions to the problem of dualism that come from a materialist monist perspective are sometimes rejected out of a misunderstanding that comes from the sheer depth and resilience of dualist thinking. Using personal experience drawn from Goethean observation I here set out another way of thinking about materialism. My central claim arises from an essentially simple question. We know that substance dualism (the idea that the world is made up of two types of substance: mind and matter) is fraught with problems, not least of which is the question of how these two substances interact. Moreover, the notion of two substances always seems to bring in its wake an evaluative component, where one substance (for us in the Western tradition: mind) is seen as better than the other substance. Attempts to solve the problem of interaction by creating a form of monism that basically claims that there is, in fact, only one substance have been unnecessarily hampered, I believe, by the idea that the one substance left remaining has to be either like mind or like matter as conceived by dualism. But why so? If the dualism model is wrong, then why carry over its interpretation of either mind or matter? And if we don’t do this, then we are left with a pressing question, what is the real nature of the world and what is my relationship to it?
I want to explore this question through my own experience of encountering the world with the guidance of the 18th century poet and scientist, J.W. von Goethe. To do this will involve adopting a certain autobiographical mode. I also want to do this in such a way that the reader could follow the way I have set this out and, should it seem inviting or important enough, test it for themselves with a phenomenon of their choice.
Philosophical concerns about restoring landscapes often revolve around two, connected, issues. F... more Philosophical concerns about restoring landscapes often revolve around two, connected, issues. First is the idea that a restored landscape, even if it is a perfect replica, has lost some of its value. The claim might appeal to a break in the continuity of the landscape and that continuity is part of what is valuable. Alternatively, often in the case of natural landscapes, the appeal is that any human manipulation is inauthentic; here the analogy is sometimes made with the art world and the restoration is deemed a fake. The second problem highlighted in philosophical debates is that the greater the success of restoration projects the more threatened do natural landscapes become: any claim that something must be preserved in its pristine or historically layered state is undermined by the claim that it could be put back again.
Initially I discuss two opposing potential responses to these claims: 1. that humans are part of nature and thus cannot be an alien dominating force outside of nature and 2. that nature is itself a social construct. Neither of these positions is entirely satisfactory, but what they jointly reveal is the reality of our fluid and multifaceted relationship to the world. The paper then goes on to show that Elliot’s claim of the additional value of pristine nature is actually based, not on an inherent value but is dependent on the human valuation of it. I propose an alternative that places the source of value in the thing itself and thus arrive at a positive role for restoration as the setting in train and guiding of positive relationships above and beyond their social or public amenity value to us.
Reference to Merleau-Ponty’s ideas surfaces in environmental thinking from time to time. This pap... more Reference to Merleau-Ponty’s ideas surfaces in environmental thinking from time to time. This paper examines whether, and in what way, his ideas could be helpful to that thinking. In order to arrive at a conclusion I examine in detail and attempt to clarify the notions of ‘Flesh’ and ‘Earth’ in order to see if they can carry the meanings that commentators sometimes attribute to them. With a clearer outline of what he was saying in place, I suggest that the new ontology that Merleau-Ponty introduces could help to transform environmental thinking, but that careful argumentation is required to show this.
Literature on place makes use of concepts like authenticity and is often structured around a crit... more Literature on place makes use of concepts like authenticity and is often structured around a critique of homogeneity or placelessness. This critique is reinforced by the discourse of conservation biology with its emphasis on protecting biodiversity and condemning some non-native species. However, a common emotional response of humans, when they are displaced, is to make where they are like where they felt at home. The debate around invasive species needs careful handling for both ecological and social reasons. This paper addresses a gap in that debate by taking account of the emotional involvement of humans with plants and their caring for the immediate environment through the activity of gardening.
Ocularcentrism is the term used to express the emphasis that Western culture places on the visual... more Ocularcentrism is the term used to express the emphasis that Western culture places on the visual sense. The claim is not just that we tend to use our eyes more than other senses, but that we value knowledge gained through the visual sense more than that gained by hearing, smell, touch and the kinaesthetic sense. An additional feature of the concept is that this valuing of sight has determined the way we understand knowledge, and what counts as knowledge, as that which can be construed visually. Indeed our terminology for thoughts, concepts, and ideas uses visual metaphors . We see, we have insights, we speculate and this style of thinking will of course have an impact on what we look for and the kinds of evidence we accept as yielding knowledge. I will briefly outline some of the historical and conceptual pointers to the idea of ocularcentrism. This will provide a framework within which to examine a statement by Walter Ong about the propensity to turn all that is seen into surfaces - even interiors. Ong's critique extends to what he sees as a necessary superficialising of our encounters with the world, and each other, through the tying of abstract visualism to our idea of reality. I will explore three examples of encounters with interiors which will underline our usual visual dominance and experiment with giving attention to the other senses for a more rounded account of the experience. The examples will then be used to explicate two aspects of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology. One, the experience of our being "caught in the fabric of the world", and two, the possibilities of a reappraisal of the visual, in its experienced form, as including depth, colour and communication with the other senses.
In this paper we discuss ethical and aesthetic questions in relation to the garden practice of to... more In this paper we discuss ethical and aesthetic questions in relation to the garden practice of topiary. We begin by considering the ethical concerns arising from the uneasiness some appreciators might feel when experiencing topiary as a manipulation or contortion of natural processes. We then turn to ways in which topiary might cause an 'aesthetic affront' through the humanizing effects of sentimentality and falsification of nature (most often found in representational rather than abstract topiary). Our contention is that successful topiary emerges through a dynamic and positive relationship between topiarist and tree, where the gardener works with nature's forms instead of in strong opposition to them. Appreciation of successful topiary, we shall argue, is marked by an experience of both the tree as living thing and the artifice which has shaped it.
This paper will demonstrate the method of Goethean observation as a means of surveying and apprai... more This paper will demonstrate the method of Goethean observation as a means of surveying and appraising landscape which allows a role for a schooled subjectivity. Similarities between this method and phenomenological studies will be made. To explore what Goethe’s scientific method is, the first section of this paper discusses the Goethean method as taught by the School of Life Science. I then move on to the situation of attempting to apply the method as a means to understand the Genius Loci of a specific place. The final section records what happens when the same place is then revisited. The method, as negotiated by the group applying it, is examined by describing the experience and examining the intersubjective consistencies and discrepancies that arose within the group. In conclusion I suggest the way in which this method could be used to approach landscape in an informed way that is also sensitive to the phenomenon of the place itself.
This paper addresses some issues that arise from a nexus of ideas that is sometimes called Genius... more This paper addresses some issues that arise from a nexus of ideas that is sometimes called Genius Loci, sometimes spirit of place and sometimes sense of place. This is a very old notion that has resurfaced and is undergoing a reformulation. The importance of this notion for the ethics of building rests in particular interpretations that see spirit of place as something about a place that demands we respect it and work alongside it in terms of architectural design, building practice and appropriate daily use. However, this notion is ambiguous and variously expressed by writers in many fields of enquiry. This proliferation of interpretations and uses does nothing to help the development of a robust idea that could inform ethical building, though it may point to a necessary ambiguity.
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Papers by Isis Brook
Through a number of examples of environmental interventions this paper makes a claim that the unauthorised nature of some interventions is an integral part of their aesthetic quality. This does not mean that all such interventions have these qualities only that the regulation of what can be done where and by whom could endanger the production of a rich seam of aesthetic experience, such as edginess and whimsy, and the aesthetic engagement of artists and the general public with places.
I want to explore this question through my own experience of encountering the world with the guidance of the 18th century poet and scientist, J.W. von Goethe. To do this will involve adopting a certain autobiographical mode. I also want to do this in such a way that the reader could follow the way I have set this out and, should it seem inviting or important enough, test it for themselves with a phenomenon of their choice.
Initially I discuss two opposing potential responses to these claims: 1. that humans are part of nature and thus cannot be an alien dominating force outside of nature and 2. that nature is itself a social construct. Neither of these positions is entirely satisfactory, but what they jointly reveal is the reality of our fluid and multifaceted relationship to the world. The paper then goes on to show that Elliot’s claim of the additional value of pristine nature is actually based, not on an inherent value but is dependent on the human valuation of it. I propose an alternative that places the source of value in the thing itself and thus arrive at a positive role for restoration as the setting in train and guiding of positive relationships above and beyond their social or public amenity value to us.
Staff Development in Learning and Teaching by Isis Brook
Through a number of examples of environmental interventions this paper makes a claim that the unauthorised nature of some interventions is an integral part of their aesthetic quality. This does not mean that all such interventions have these qualities only that the regulation of what can be done where and by whom could endanger the production of a rich seam of aesthetic experience, such as edginess and whimsy, and the aesthetic engagement of artists and the general public with places.
I want to explore this question through my own experience of encountering the world with the guidance of the 18th century poet and scientist, J.W. von Goethe. To do this will involve adopting a certain autobiographical mode. I also want to do this in such a way that the reader could follow the way I have set this out and, should it seem inviting or important enough, test it for themselves with a phenomenon of their choice.
Initially I discuss two opposing potential responses to these claims: 1. that humans are part of nature and thus cannot be an alien dominating force outside of nature and 2. that nature is itself a social construct. Neither of these positions is entirely satisfactory, but what they jointly reveal is the reality of our fluid and multifaceted relationship to the world. The paper then goes on to show that Elliot’s claim of the additional value of pristine nature is actually based, not on an inherent value but is dependent on the human valuation of it. I propose an alternative that places the source of value in the thing itself and thus arrive at a positive role for restoration as the setting in train and guiding of positive relationships above and beyond their social or public amenity value to us.