Nature - autonomous learning

176 de-naturalisationTwo subfields of geography where the representation of nature andthe materiality of nature respectively have been important are Third Worldpolitical ecology and animal geography. In the first case concerns have beenexpressed that a focus on discourses of environment has underminedunderstanding of the real biophysical world. In the latter case, the agencyof animals has been emphasised as a counter to the tendency of humangeographers to ignore the physicality of the non-human domain. For moreon Third World political ecology see Peet and Watts (1996), Robbins(2004b) and Zimmerer and Bassett (2003). For an introduction to animalgeography see Wolch and Emel (1998) and Philo and Wilbert (2000).There is no one text on how human geographers have de-naturalised ourunderstanding of people’s identities and subjectivities. However, Panelli’s(2004) book is very good indeed (though not structured explicitly aroundthe theme of de-naturalisation), while chapters 7–8 and 16–18 of Duncanet al. (2004) are also most useful. More generally, Barker (2000: ch. 6) givesa useful overview of de-naturalising approaches to understanding subjectivityand identity. Kay Anderson, in her work on ‘race’ (2001), has been aleading analyst of how conceptions of mental and biological essentialismare used to justify discrimination; see also Penrose (2003).I argued in this chapter and the previous one that geographers had saidlittle about an ethics of nature – whether in a naturalistic or de-naturalisingmode.The following are among the few by human geographers on ethicsand nature: Low (1999), Lynn (1998), Jones (2000), Low and Gleeson(1998: ch. 6), Proctor and Smith (1998: section III).The annual ‘progressreports’ on ethics in Progress in Human Geography mention new literature onnature ethics by human geographers. Proctor (2001) discusses whetherit is possible to have a nature-sceptical ethics of nature, as does Petersen(1999).These two essays are essential reading for understanding whethera ‘social-constructionst ethics’ of nature is viable or desirable.