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OADD 2335 - The Idea of Nature: from Philosophical to Political Stakes.

OADD 2335 · Semestre de printemps 2025-2026

Langue d'enseignement
English
Type d'enseignement
Cours séminaire
Nombre d'heures
24
Crédits
6

Informations

Descriptif

At the beginning of the 21st century, the major environmental upheavals linked to human activities constitute a political, scientific, technological, anthropological and philosophical challenge, calling into question many of the certainties we thought were established about ourselves and nature. Facing these challenges also requires rethinking the place of humans in nature, developing new scenarios of interaction between societies and their environment and translating those into viable policies. This course aims at addressing the relationship between humanity and nature. It will do so both from a philosophical point of view and in relation to the way nature is governed through certain policy and political practices. It will mobilize insights from epistemology, history of ideas and cultural studies and will examine what those can teach us about current institutions and frameworks, in an interdisciplinary approach. At a time when the biosphere is undergoing major changes and humanity is asking itself questions about its own mutations, redefining the idea of nature in the light of both scientific and cultural knowledge is both a major academic challenge and a pressing political question.

Learning Outcomes 1) Acquired knowledge: - Developping a critical understanding of current ecology from a philosophical, historical and political science perspective; - Further understanding the complexity of nature as a social concept and its use in different policy initiatives and visions.

  • Developed skills: - Seeing and using concepts as dynamic, historical objects ; - Building more informed reasonings about mankind's relationship with nature ; - Understanding the diversity of relationships and representations of nature and how it informs political positions about nature. Professional Skills - Analyzing ideas in a cultural and temporal context ; - Research and analysis ; - Critical thinking ; - Case building

Format pédagogique

Pedagogical and feedback format:

The class will consist in short lectures delivered by the teacher and followed by a debate with the students where key concepts and insights from the readings should be mobilized Additionally, each class will start with short student presentations where students are expected to propose their own answer to the session's theme, based on their readings of the core texts and additional resources.

Mode de validation

Assessment:

  • 1 oral presentation 50%
  • 1 written work 50%

Charge de travail

  • In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
  • Reading and Preparation for Class: 6 hours a week / 72 hours a semester
  • Research and Preparation for Group Work: 1.5 hours a week / 18 hours a semester
  • Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 3 hours a week / 36 hours a semester

Lectures

Lectures principales 5

  1. 1. Catherine et Raphaël Larrère, Du bon usage de la nature : pour une philosophie de l'environnement, Paris, Aubier, coll. « Alto », 1997. Larrère Catherine. Du bon usage de la nature : pour une philosophie de l’environnement. Paris : Aubier. 1997.

  2. 2. Catherine et Raphaël Larrère, Penser et agir avec la nature : une enquête philosophique, Paris, La Découverte, 2015.o Larrère Catherine. Penser et agir avec la nature : Une enquête philosophique. Paris : La Découverte. 2016. o Larrère Catherine. Penser et agir avec la nature : une enquête philosophique. Paris : Editions de la Découverte. 2015.

  3. 3. Fabrice Flipo, Nature et politique : contribution à une anthropologie de la modernité et de la globalisation, Amsterdam, 2014.o Flipo Fabrice. Nature et politique : contribution à une anthropologie de la modernité et de la globalisation. Paris : Ed. Amsterdam. 2014.

  4. 4. Blandin, P. De la protection de la nature au pilotage de la biodiversité. Quae, 2009.o Blandin, Patrick. De la protection de la nature au pilotage de la biodiversité . Versailles Cedex : Éditions Quæ. 2019.

  5. 5. Fressoz, J.-B., & Bonneuil, C. (2013). L'Evénement Anthropocène - La Terre, l'histoire et nous. Seuil. (English version at Verso Books)o Bonneuil Christophe. L’événement anthropocène : la Terre, l’histoire et nous. Nouvelle édition révisée et augmentée [de deux chapitres inédits]. Paris : Éditions Points. 2016.

Lectures secondaires 5

  1. 10. Duban, F. (2000). L'Ecologisme aux Etats-Unis : histoire et aspects contemporains de l'environnementalisme américain. L'Harmattan. o Duban François. L’écologisme aux États-Unis : histoire et aspects contemporains de l’environnementalisme américain. Paris Saint-Denis-de-la-Réunion : l’Harmattan Université de la Réunion. 2000.

  2. 6. Leopold, A. (1949). A sand county almanach. Oxford University Presso Leopold Aldo et Schwartz Charles W. A sand county almanac and sketches here and there. London Oxford New York : Oxford University press. 1968

  3. 7. Philippe Descola, L'écologie des autres. L'anthropologie et la question de la nature. Quae, 2011o Descola, Philippe. « L’écologie des autres : L’anthropologie et la question de la nature » L’écologie des autres. [s.l.] : Éditions Quæ. 2011, p. 9 83.

  4. 8. Worster, D. (1994). Nature's Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas. Cambridge University Press. o Worster Donald. Nature's Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas. Cambridge University Press. 1994.

  5. 9. Latour, B. (1999). Politiques de la nature. Comment faire entrer les sciences en démocratie. La Découverte. [exists in English: Politics of nature: how to bring the sciences into democracy]o Latour Bruno. Politiques de la nature : Comment faire entrer les sciences en démocratie. Paris : La Découverte. 2016.

Unités pédagogiques

N° d'UPType d'UP Unités pédagogiquesEnseignants Nombre d'heuresCrédits
57210Cours séminaire The Idea of Nature: from Philosophical to Political Stakes. —246

Dans les maquettes

Contacts et ressources

Contact pédagogique
SAMPAOLI Valentina