Lauren Richter

Equating Reason With Rational: How Rationality Limits Modern Approaches to Environmental Problems

This paper explores the relationship between modern society and the environment, isolating “rationality” as a central component of a modern condition under globalizing capitalism. I will provide a critique of modern dependence on rationality arguing that despite its effectiveness it also hinders our approaches to environmental concerns by: 1. establishing knowledge hierarchies and 2. promoting a flawed paradigm for controlling the environment. Central to this task is the underlying question: To what extent is environmental degradation a function of capitalism, rendering solutions produced in this paradigm superficial, if not inflammatory? I conclude by promoting innovative approaches to environmental problems as seen in the systems-based analyses of Berkes et al.(1998). Their research uses multiple sources of knowledge and embraces “irrational” concepts such as unpredictability, creative innovation, and surprise.