Leopold A Land Ethic

The Land Ethic

Ethics is the branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct and human behaviors. Aldo Leopold in 1949 in a Sand County Almanac talks about human behavior which he calls “A Land ethic”. This is a philosophy that seeks to guide the actions when humans use and or make changes to the land. He says   there is a need for a "new ethic", an "ethic dealing with human's relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it" (Leopold 1949). Is this possible on a full scale?  How much of the population would have to practice this ethic to make it work?

 

"The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively” (Leopold 1949)

                                           

Leopold says we should not act is if we are land conquers but consider the land along side of us. He talks about how every conquer eventually fails.  And I believe this to be true. At some point we may have to decide that maybe human life is not as important as the environment.  Do we not worry about it because it most likely won’t matter during are life time? I think due to things like religion and such we have a way of believing we are more superior to anything else on this planet. That God created this for us.  Though I think it’s just as a team of humans you are only as strong as your weakest link.  If we started to thing as everything not just humans as are team, we would realize we are out competing are self’s.  The funny thing is we are worried about invasive species in the wild, but why don’t we consider are self to be invasive? 



 

 

 

 

Perhaps the most serious obstacle impeding the evolution of a land ethic is the fact are education and economic system is heading away from, rather than toward, and intense consciousness of land (Leopold 1949).

 

This is something I do not agree with.  Although this is probably due to the time of this writing. I think back to my education when I was younger we did some things in nature. Some field trips were probably useless trips, but I remember taking some to different places in the area learning about the environment.  I took a 10 year break from in class learning, but since I have returned I feel like there is defiantly a lot of concern about the land compared to the past.  I would say at least educationally I can see a direct change towards, rather than away.