Philosophy 490 - Seminar: The Concept of Wilderness - Fall 1997

Michael P. Nelson

Office: 415 CCC

Office Phone 346-3907

email m2nelson@uwsp.edu

Home Phone 342-1235

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Alongside the ongoing debates surrounding the preservation of areas of wilderness there has recently sprung up a more intellectual, conceptual, or philosophical debate.  The very question of the meaning of the concept of wilderness has quite recently captured philosophical attention.  In this course we will be primarily concerned with this later debate.  However, we will realize that the two debates cannot be separated: as goes the concept of wilderness so goes those places we call wilderness.  We will explore the historical view of wilderness, the merits and the potential problems with such a view, how wilderness preservation efforts might or might not be subverted by such a rendering of wilderness, topics or concepts related to the concept of wilderness (wildness, nature, culture, human) that might help to shed some light.  Throughout it all we will be especially interested in the possibility of postulating a new concept of wilderness.

TEXTS

Roderick Nash, Wilderness and the American Mind, third edition, Yale University Press, 1982. (to be purchased from bookstore)

J. Baird Callicott and Michael P. Nelson, The Great New Wilderness Debate, forthcoming from The University of Georgia Press.

Other readings as they seem fit throughout the semester. (to be handed out by instructor)

REQUIREMENTS

1.  Since this is a seminar course, students will be responsible for coming to the classes, doing all of the readings, and being prepared to discuss those readings.  In other words, although there is not an exact formula for this, attendance and participation will constitute a major portion of the students’ grade.

2.  Formal requirement:  Students will be expected to complete a major term paper (approx. 20-25 pages) for the course.  The topic is to be selected by the student and approved by the instructor.  Along the way to the final submission of the term paper there will be the following helpful and mandatory steps--

            A.  The submission of a paper proposal (1-2 pages).  By week 4.

            B.  The submission of an early prospectus of the paper (i.e., a shorter, approx. 7

                  page, version of the paper or part of the paper.  By week 8.

            C.  An in-class presentation of the paper as a work in progress nearing

                  completion to be distributed to the class beforehand in summary form and

                  presented by the student to the class.  The class will then discuss the paper

                  offering helpful comments designed to make a better final paper.  Weeks 11-14.

            D.  The submission of the final paper on or before the Thursday of final’s week.

3.  From time to time I may ask someone, or take volunteers, to do a small bit of research on some topic we are discussing in class and prepare a brief presentation of their findings.  This will count in the participation portion of your grade (#1 above).

4.  Students are also invited to participate in the public folder set up for the class.  Such a tool will help us ask and answer questions of one another and of the instructor, distribute class presentation papers, and receive information and instruction from the instructor.  Since the class only meets once a week, I think this is a vital tool to utilize and encourage (I want to say require but I won’t) you all to use it.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Weeks 1-3 -- Read Wilderness and the American Mind

            Week 2 -- pp. ix-121.

            Week 3 -- pp. 122-237.

            Week 4 -- pp. 238-388.

The Nash book will give us a good background and overall summary of concepts we will next hit upon individually as well as a good history of the American wilderness ideal.

Weeks 5-11 -- Readings from The Great New Wilderness Debate

            To be determined according to interest of class and direction of discussion as we go along our merry way.  Schedule to be handed out later.

Weeks 12-14 -- Student Presentations

            We will do 3-4 of these per session and you will sign up for them with me on a first-come first-serve basis.  Students not presenting will be expected to come prepared (read what the presenters have distributed) and willing to discuss the presentation in a constructive, kind, and helpful manner.

Week 15 -- All the Conclusions We Can Muster.

            Readings to be chosen later per appropriateness to class direction.

Note that I have also put on reserve a few books that might be particuarly helpful for research.  Please photocopy what you want from these books and keep them in the reserve room for others to use.  I also possess these books in my personal collection and they can be browsed through in my office or copied from me.

Note also that our library subscribes to various journals and magazines which might also help.  In particular Wild Earth, Conservation Biology, and Environmental Ethics.  Also helpful might be the magazines of the Wilderness Society (Wilderness) and that of the Sierra Club (Sierra).

Please note that although I am the instructor for the seminar and although I will be responsible for organizing the course, you the students are expected to carry a large portion of the burden for the course.  Seminars by their very nature are supposed to be highly interactive courses where the students dictate the direction and content of the course to a much greater extent than they do in a traditional lecture-style course.  Unfortunately, they are also something which many students are not familiar with.  Hopefully, however, we will all catch on quickly and have a grand old time in the process.  If there are ever any questions or comments about anything during the semester pertaining to the course please feel free to bring them up in class or to me in private.