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Mother Nature, the Bloody Bitch
"We do not see, or we forget, that the birds which are idly singing
around us mostly live on insects or seeds, and are thus constantly
destroying life...."
Charles Darwin, The Origin of the Species
"Mankind has always been cutting one another's throats.... Do
you not believe...that hawks have always preyed upon
pigeons...? Then...if hawks have always had the same nature,
what reason can you give why mankind should change theirs?"
Voltaire, Candide
In 1580, Michelle de Montaigne, inspired by the discovery of
New World tribes untouched by Europe's latest complexities, initiated
the idea of the "noble savage." Nearly two hundred years later, Jean
Jacques Rousseau popularized the concept when he published four
works1 proclaiming that man is born an innocent wonder, filled with
love and generosity, but that a Luciferian force ensnares him: modern
civilization. Rousseau claimed that without civilization, humans
would never know hatred, prejudice or cruelty.
Today, the Rousseauistic doctrine seems stronger than ever.
Twentieth century writers and scientists like Ashley Montagu, Claude
Levi-Strauss (who hailed Rousseau as the "father of anthropology"),
Eric Jantsch, David Barash, Richard Leakey and Susan Sontag have
reworked the notion to condemn current industrial civilization. They
have been joined by numerous feminist,2 environmentalist and
minority rights extremists. Even such august scientific bodies as the
American Anthropological Association, the American Psychological
Association, and the Peace And War Section of the American
<< < GO > >>
1
1
1
Mother Nature, the Bloody Bitch
"We do not see, or we forget, that the birds which are idly singing
around us mostly live on insects or seeds, and are thus constantly
destroying life...."
Charles Darwin, The Origin of the Species
"Mankind has always been cutting one another's throats.... Do
you not believe...that hawks have always preyed upon
pigeons...? Then...if hawks have always had the same nature,
what reason can you give why mankind should change theirs?"
Voltaire, Candide
In 1580, Michelle de Montaigne, inspired by the discovery of
New World tribes untouched by Europe's latest complexities, initiated
the idea of the "noble savage." Nearly two hundred years later, Jean
Jacques Rousseau popularized the concept when he published four
works1 proclaiming that man is born an innocent wonder, filled with
love and generosity, but that a Luciferian force ensnares him: modern
civilization. Rousseau claimed that without civilization, humans
would never know hatred, prejudice or cruelty.
Today, the Rousseauistic doctrine seems stronger than ever.
Twentieth century writers and scientists like Ashley Montagu, Claude
Levi-Strauss (who hailed Rousseau as the "father of anthropology"),
Eric Jantsch, David Barash, Richard Leakey and Susan Sontag have
reworked the notion to condemn current industrial civilization. They
have been joined by numerous feminist,2 environmentalist and
minority rights extremists. Even such august scientific bodies as the
American Anthropological Association, the American Psychological
Association, and the Peace And War Section of the American
<< < GO > >>