>From: "Charles Brown"


>At what point in history do you place the origin of the ideas of control 
>over nature ,

I heard Naess say in an interview that this developed "at the time man met 
agriculture, about 12000 years ago." Quinn puts it at around 10,000 years 
ago, when a particular kind of agricultural practice began. Most of us 
"ecos" accept that the ideas are tied to the beginnings of agriculture. Some 
"ecos" tie the illusion of control to a shift away from animist sprituality 
toward more exploitive religious organization which seeks to control "the 
gods."  They surmise reinforcement of this religious notion came from 
sedentary agriculture which provided time to build cities with walls and 
support armies which could require neighbors to accept the idea.

>at what time early is the human culture building to which you refer ?

I was *referring* to Marx's notions of "primitive people", but am fast 
looking up Engles for readjustment. <g> My own bias is for Quinn's scenario. 
  This is pretty subjective stuff, unless we can get general agreement of 
when "civilization" began. Big neolithic tribal compounds? Gilgamesh and 
mudwalled cities in the fertile crescent? Egypt? Bronze Greece? ... Azteca? 
depends upon your frame of reference.


>Are you saying there were human culture builders who didn't have a control 
>of nature idea , and then things changed ?

Most Ecos are saying that it went like this: organized agriculture ---> 
increased efficacy of the idea of control ---> "culture".

EYE think that the idea of control began with Neanderthal and the earliest 
shamans. ... And that we will relinquish this illusion of control only with 
our extinction. Fortunately we don't have to give it all up, just rethink 
our ideas of what is *appropriate* control, and what is not. Put biocentric 
understanding in place to temper our anthropocentric desires. (This is a 
hedge and I am not well liked for it, admittedly. <g>)

thanks,
Tom



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