"But he felt now, in his bones, that he belonged to city and machine. He did not quite understand the new generations, scattering themselves thinly across the world, speaking of cooperation with nature rather than war against it." (p. 87)
For cities as opposed to nature, see Cities. For war against nature, see The Enemy. However, we cannot be merely at war with nature. If we were, then it would not have produced us. Some environments we are adapted to. Most environments are hostile to us. To survive in them, we must apply, thus cooperate with, the laws of physics. As Hegel said, conscious beings are both at one with and in conflict with the rest of nature. The conflict is incorporated into a higher synthesis not fully comprehended yet.
The Faun, like the Life Mothers in the Harvest of Stars future history, personifies nature-consciousness synthesis.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I would say, however, that human beings CHANGE hostile environments so they could live in them. Or, if you like that better, they find ways of living in them. As the Eskimos did to survive in frigid Arctic regions.
Ad astra! Sean
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