Toulmin Method

A2 Sample Essay Start

Socially Deep Ecology

            The fundamental premise of both Bookchin and Bradford’s arguments against deep ecology is that the environmental crisis is rooted in social conflict, and that deep ecologists fail to commune nature with society. Therefore, deep ecologists disregard the very forces of domination and manipulation that are common in social interaction and directly correlate with environmental degradation. Bradford and Bookchin also elaborate upon the subject of humanism, referring to the dualism of deep ecology as contradictory and naïve. They denounce deep ecology’s ironic sensitivity to the ideal of anthropocentricism even though deep ecology emphasizes humanity’s justified polarity with the environment. The excerpts of Davis and Dideon only confirm Bookchin and Bradford’s critique of deep ecology. Davis’s firefighters and Dideon’s lifeguards compliment the argument that deep ecology is avowedly un-humanistic. As well, the presence of an inherent social hierarchy seen in the tenement and mansion fires in Davis and the symbolism of the greenhouse in Dideon show the obvious underlying social influences that refute the ideologies of deep ecology.

            Leopold and Berry talk of deep ecology as an ecological philosophy that recognizes the interdependence of the living environment, and emphasizes the inherent value of all organisms aside from their utility to human beings. Leopold states that, “an ethical relation to land can(not) exist without love, respect, and admiration for land and a high regard for its value (…) far broader than mere economic value” (Leopold 20). They attempt to look at nature holistically, and empathetically, stressing the “cosmic oneness” of our environment and our ever-growing reliance towards its resources. And in the respect that the ideological change that they fight for is mainly that of appreciating quality of life rather than standard of living, deep ecology makes a fair point.

However, Bookchin and Bradford realize the utopian aspect of this ideology and thus disregard it, commentating that society in actuality consists of power struggles that neglect sympathy. Bradford states that deep ecological thought is “blind to the actual organization of power, as well as to the operational characteristics of what is fundamentally an exterminist civilization” (Bradford 421). Thus, contrary to deep ecology’s vision, the sources of our ecological crisis are rooted in a class-based, hierarchical society. This is easily seen in the vast amount of fires throughout Los Angeles County that Davis describe in his “Ecology of Fear”. Davis emphasizes an obvious social problem that arises in the midst of firestorms that ravage both inter-Los Angeles and Malibu county. He recognizes the clear economic differences between the “overcrowded tenements of the Westlake district” compared to the perfection of the mansions that line the Malibu coast. 

A2 Reading Response Question: Moving Towards a Thesis

Please follow the instructions and provide your responses as a comment to this blog post.

After our in-class discussions and the application of "The Pentad," the next step in answering this prompt is to find a main claim from the Bookchin and/or Bradford that will become the central criteria by which you evaluate in what ways Davis and/or Didion's portrayal of life in Malibu reflects the Deep Ecology vs. Social Ecology debate.  So:

Pick three (3) central claims from the Bookchin and/or Bradford and explain how they relate to the depiction of the Malibu fires in the Davis and/or Didion.

Examples:

Bookchin's criticism of our hierarchical social organization finds clear support in the way that Davis explains the class distinctions he believes have given rise to the unequal allocation of  emergency resources in Los Angeles.

Or

Didion's emotional connection to the beauty and tranquility of Malibu represents a vital connection between identity and place that Bookchin's critique disregards too quickly and with too little attention to the inescapable ways in which people create a sense of dwelling.  Home is, after all, as much an emotional state as it is a social construct. 

As always, there are no right answers at this stage of the game.  We are just trying to start putting some ideas in relation to each other.  So don't let self-consiousness edit your responses.  Just make some claims that we can talk about and which might ultimately find their way into your essay either as a thesis claim or a supportive assertion.

Bring these claims and a list of supportive quotes to class on Monday.  Have a good weekend.

Assignment 1 Special Submission Instructions

A1 Heuristic Task and Reading Response Question

Hey folks.  Happy holiday weekend.  Two things:

1) Remember that for Wednesday, 9/5 I need you to put together a heuristic list compiled from concepts and/or terms from your own diagnostic plus those of at least two of the three assigned A1 readings.  Remember also the goals of this combined list:

--Make it messy;
--Make it longer than you think it needs to be;
--Then highlight 5 contrasting ideas, 5 consonant ideas, and identify 5 subordinate relationships among its terms.

2) Then, in a short comment to this post (one paragraph or so) respond to the following question:

How do Neass' ideas relate to Leopold's?  Where are they similar?  How do they differ?

***This response is due by noon on Tuesday, 9/4.  And as always make sure your full name is at the bottom of any blog posts or comments.  Thanks.