I'm sorry, but you'll have to offer more evidence than you have before
I'll plunk down $20 for a book that might just be full of nonsense.
Speaking both as a scholar and as a consumer, nothing I've seen here on
or on the Amazon site entices me to spend either the money or time on
your thesis.
To me, 4 billion years of evolution before the hominid line arose speaks
rather clearly as to the lack of necessity of our presence, much less
our involvement, in the biosphere. And given that relatively few
species have "coevolved with us," and that our impact on the biosphere
as a whole was quite limited until a few thousand years ago, I see
little justification for the argument that our continued presence is
necessary for the biosphere's health and/or survival.
Dave
On 3/26/2012 4:52 PM, Neil Cummins wrote:
Just because life exists does not mean that it is "doing just fine".
Life existed in the past. Life exists in the present. Life will exist
in the near future.
The idea that "the planet's bidoversity can do very well without us"
is a claim that humans have made in the very recent past concerning
the NOT near future. It is this claim which I reject.
This rejection is in no way refuted by your message below concerning
the past.
I hope this helps you to understand. If not the book might, much of it
is viewable for free on amazon.
Best
Neil
http://neilpaulcummins.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.cranmorepublications.co.uk/73
On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 5:46 PM, David M. Lawrence <d...@fuzzo.com
<mailto:d...@fuzzo.com>> wrote:
How can you claim that the idea that "we cannot do without the
rest of the planet's biodiversity, but it can do very well without
us," is completely and utterly wrong, given that life did just
fine for 4 billion years without us? I suggest that is a powerful
and irrefutable empirical rejection of your claim.
Later,
Dave
On 3/26/2012 9:32 AM, Neil Cummins wrote:
I am excited to let you know about the publication of:
Saviours or Destroyers: The relationship between the human
species and the
rest of life on Earth
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1907962522/ref=nosim?tag=cranmorpublic-20
http://www.cranmorepublications.co.uk/73
Here is the amazon info:
> From the Author
At the start of Chapter Two I quote an all too familiar view:
"The lesson we need to learn urgently is this: we cannot do
without the
rest of the planet's biodiversity, but it can do very well
without us."
My objective in this book is to make it clear why this
contemporarily
fashionable view is completely and utterly wrong. This view
has been
forwarded and propagated by a wide range of intellectuals,
academics and
environmentalists. I hope that through this book, and the rest
of my
writings, that these people will come to see where they have
gone wrong.
Some components of the view that I forward in the book are
open to debate.
However, that the human species is the saviour of life, rather
than the
destroyer which the rest of life on Earth "can do very well
without", is so
obvious that it shouldn't be one of these debatable components.
Book Description
Publication Date: March 15, 2012
There are many ways in which humans can conceptualise the
relationship
between their species and their surroundings; these
'surroundings' can be
taken to be the rest of the life-forms which exist on the
Earth, or
everything non-human that exists in the universe. In this book
I focus on
various possible relationships between the human species and
the rest of
the life-forms that exist (and those that have existed, and
those that will
exist in the future) on the Earth. Is there no deeply
significant and
meaningful relationship? Or, is the human species superior in
some way? Or,
is the human species inferior in some way?
If you are familiar with my previous work you will be aware
that I am
particularly interested in how the relationship we are
exploring relates to
the 'environmental crisis'. I have suggested that the human
species is
superior in some way, and that the environmental
crisis/human-induced
global warming are positive events which indicate that the
human species is
fulfilling its role as saviour of life on Earth.
I take this book to be a valuable addition to my previous
writings. In it I
consider at length the opposing view that the human species is
an 'inferior
destroyer' of the rest of life on Earth. I also outline the
whole range of
ways in which it is obvious that technology is in the
interests of life on
Earth. I also develop the view that the universe is a 'feeling
universe'
whose movements/evolution is directed by all parts of the
universe seeking
to move to higher states of feeling; and I explore how this
plays out in
the day-to-day lives of individual humans as they seek to live
more happy
and fulfilling lives. Furthermore, I describe how we live in
an epoch which
can best be described as a 'birthing process'; life on Earth
is bringing
forth the technological armour which will ensure its future
survival. This
is a birthing process, which like almost all births, entails a
lot of pain
and suffering. I suggest that this process will come to an end
when the
temperature of the atmosphere is being successfully
technologically
regulated. Finally, I outline the serious environmental
problems that we
face on the surface of the Earth and urge that we take both
technological
and non-technological actions to address these problems. If we can
successfully do this then we can forge a sustainable and
harmonious future
for all life on Earth.
There are both paperback and ebook/kindle versions available.
Dr NPC
http://neilpaulcummins.blogspot.co.uk/
--
------------------------------------------------------
David M. Lawrence | Home: (804) 559-9786
<tel:%28804%29%20559-9786>
7471 Brook Way Court | Fax: (804) 559-9787
<tel:%28804%29%20559-9787>
Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: d...@fuzzo.com
<mailto:d...@fuzzo.com>
USA | http: http://fuzzo.com
------------------------------------------------------
"All drains lead to the ocean." -- Gill, Finding Nemo
"We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo
"No trespassing
4/17 of a haiku" -- Richard Brautigan
--
------------------------------------------------------
David M. Lawrence | Home: (804) 559-9786
7471 Brook Way Court | Fax: (804) 559-9787
Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: d...@fuzzo.com
USA | http: http://fuzzo.com
------------------------------------------------------
"All drains lead to the ocean." -- Gill, Finding Nemo
"We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo
"No trespassing
4/17 of a haiku" -- Richard Brautigan
