According to Wendell Berry, there is a difference between 'rational' thought, and 'sentimental' thought. Rational thought can be viewed as a completely logical way of thinking where everything has an assigned value. It is the way of thinking that governs our current economy. It is what tells us that in order to receive good grades in school, we must put in the time and effort to learn the material that the teachers are trying to teach us. 'Sentimental' thought is just the opposite. It is the way of thinking that sees more value than just the dollar worth in everything. It is subjective, and value varies according to each person's own world view. It is the the way of thinking that does not need the satisfaction of good grades to study material covered in class. The 'sentimental' way of thinking sees learning itself as the ultimate goal. Reece gives some wonderful examples of this difference as well. An example of the rational mind is mountaintop removal strip mining. The mountain is in the way of getting to the coal. Getting the coal means earning money. Earning money is the ultimate goal. Mountaintop removal strip mining is the fastest way to eliminate the mountain as an obstacle to the ultimate goal. An example of sentimental thought was the compromise between complete wilderness in the mountains, and their use for logging in sustainable ways, hunting in the woods, raising mushrooms, gathering herbs, etc. All of these activities have the potential to earn money. They all fit in with the current economy, but they are also eco-friendly.
“Several hundred feet away, what's left of the summit now stands isolated, like a butte rising suddenly in the Arizona desert. It is almost completely inaccessible, circled by a hundred-foot highwall on three sides. Back here on the eastern bench, I watch the dozers work for a while. It takes a thousand years to build twelve inches of topsoil on these steep slopes. But it will only take the dozer driver a few hours to scrape it all away.” (pg 185-186)
In this quote, an analogy for the entire process of mountaintop removal can be found. This one process (removing the topsoil) can be compared to removing the entire mountain. It has taken an inordinate amount of geological time to create and sculpt these mountains, yet it takes only one single, human year to completely destroy the entire thing. This quote makes me think of the fall of Rome, oddly enough. The saying is true- Rome wasn't built in a day. But take a look at Roman history- it doesn't take all that long for the Romans to make their own civilization come crashing down around them. Frequently, Reece mentions the Mayan people, and their similar fate. Lucky for us that they couldn't actually destroy mountains, isn't it? It makes me wonder what on Earth the next era's people will be saying about this, and how blind we are to the plight of our own planet.
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I like Reece's strategic use of the Mayan example. As aboriginals, they are supposedly in tune with the earth. The irony keeps readers from that particular kind of romanticizing.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up the idea that of not only being economic, but also eco-friendly. It's funny that the prefix eco- that's Greek for "house." The study of ecology is literally the study of the house, e.g. the Earth. On the other hand, economy doesn't incorporate the ideas of Earth at all, but instead becomes much more inward-looking, much more rational. Perhaps, if we held economy to the same standards as ecology, we wouldn't find it so strange to hear the phrase "eco-friendly economy." Good post great musing.
ReplyDeleteI like how you compared the sentimental mind and rational mind to things outside this book. Also I like how you compared the quote to the Mayans and the Romans. It makes me believe that perhaps humans won't have another chance. Those civilizations came tumbling down when technology was no where near the power it holds today.
ReplyDeleteI really like the quite you used and the historical references you used. It is a good thing for us the Mayans could not blow up mountains. I wonder what the world will look like after we are done with it.
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