Biophilia
Biophilia is a philosophical hypothesis that explores the intrinsic connection between humans and other living organisms. Coined by psychologist Erich Fromm, the term combines Greek words for "life" and "friendly love," reflecting a natural human inclination toward life and lifelike processes. This concept gained prominence in environmental studies following Edward O. Wilson's 1984 book "Biophilia," where he posits that our affinity for living things stems from evolutionary developments in human physiology and psychology. Wilson argues that the conservation of biodiversity is not only vital for resource management but is also essential for the human psyche, linking biophilia to biocentric and ecocentric views in environmental ethics.
At the heart of biophilia is the belief that understanding and valuing life enhances human beings' appreciation of both human and nonhuman entities. This understanding can help alleviate fears of nature, fostering a deeper connection to the environment. Biophilia also serves as a bridge between the sciences and the humanities, suggesting that a comprehensive understanding of nature requires insights from both fields. Additionally, the principles of biophilia have inspired biophilic design in architecture, promoting the integration of natural elements in built environments to support mental and physical well-being while advancing sustainable development.
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Biophilia
DEFINITION: A philosophical hypothesis that addresses the relationship between human beings and other organisms
The biophilia hypothesis may be viewed as a bridge between the sciences and the humanities. It has been employed in the sciences, philosophy, and literature regarding investigations of biodiversity, habitat conservation, and ecosystem studies.
The word biophilia, first coined by the German psychologistErich Fromm, is a neologism combining two Greek terms (bio, meaning “life” and philias, meaning “friendly love”); it refers to the natural human inclination to focus on life and lifelike operations. Biophilia became a key concept in environmental studies in 1984 when Harvard entomologist Edward O. Wilson published a book titled Biophilia. In this volume, Wilson argues that human sympathy toward living things can be explained in terms of evolutionary developments in human physiology and psychology. Taking this natural affinity for life into account, Wilson asserts that conservation of species and their is valuable to human beings not merely in the instrumental sense of resource management and profit but in an intrinsic sense as well, insofar as the diversity of life is essential to the human psyche.
Because of its focus on life and lifelike processes, biophilia is most often associated with biocentric views in environmental ethics, since it holds that land is valuable insofar as diversity in ecosystems is a requirement for diversity of life. However, the results of biophilia—particularly when viewed in light of coevolutionary data (to which Wilson appeals)—reveal that health depends on equilibrium in biodiversity. In this way, biophilia may be said to fall in line with more ecocentric views, such as the deep and land ethic perspectives.
At the core of the biophilia hypothesis is the belief that the value human beings place on life, both human and nonhuman, will increase in proportion to the amount of understanding humans glean from studying other organisms. Without such understanding, it is argued, phobias regarding nature will endure. With this deeper understanding, phobias will be replaced by philias. Taking up the metaphor of historian Leo Marx, Wilson attributes this tension between biophobia and biophilia to a dilemma known as “the machine in the garden,” wherein human beings cannot survive in the wild without technologies that have the potential to destroy wilderness. Thus he and other conservationists have embraced biophilia in calling for a more intelligent, limited use of technologies that have the potential to harm habitats.
Because it brings together biology and psychology in these ways, biophilia may be viewed philosophically as a bridge between the sciences and the humanities. While the sciences tend to aim at discovery of fact and the humanities at the transmission of value, both may be needed for the deep understanding of nature that biophilia pursues. In this way, the implications of biophilia may go beyond a mere division of labor between the sciences and the humanities toward a view of Homo sapiens as the “poetic species.” Accordingly, the love for living things that brings together those human capacities for art and for science is found in human beings’ biology and in their relationship to other organisms.
Biophilia has found influence in the field of architecture. Biophilic design, which incorporates elements of nature such as natural materials, flowing water, and tranquil views, has been embraced by environmentalists and others for developing the built environment. It is often connected to the movement toward sustainable development and in designing for mental and physical well-being.
Bibliography
Gunnarsson, Bengt, and Marcus Hedblom. "Biophilia Revisited: Nature Versus Nurture." Trends in Ecology & Evolution, vol. 38, no. 9, 2023, pp. 792-794. DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.06.002. Accessed 15 July 2024.
Kellert, Stephen R., and Edward O. Wilson, eds. The Biophilia Hypothesis. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1993.
"What Is Biophilic Architecture? 15 Real-World Examples in the Built Environment." University College of Estate Management, 4 Mar. 2024, www.ucem.ac.uk/whats-happening/articles/biophilia-examples-built-environment/. Accessed 15 July 2024.
Wilson, Edward O. Biophilia. 1984. Reprint. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2003.
Wilson, Edward O. The Diversity of Life. New ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1999.