Created and Maintained by Wayne Stewart.
This easy-to-use site presents a well written ecological thesis which
unites naturalism with metaphysics. In dedicating his work "to a new
Athena, icon of Mind at peace with Nature," Stewart opens human thought to the recovery of our ethical
relationship with what is more (or less) than merely human, even to the invertebrates, applying recent
discoveries to the most ancient of philosophical concerns -- our ontologic and ethical relations with other
living beings; forcing us to wonder just where our metaphysical logics of
domination have come from. Are complex structures (like the central nervous system, memory,
subjectivity, continuity) simply descriptions of nature's intricacy? Should
they be used as criteria for justifying subordination? Or, can our concern
over nature's 'superior' beings in some way extend an ethics beyond our traditional, historical hierarchies?
In any event, if you've ever felt a (moral) difference between eating
animals and eating vegetables, read Stewart's work to find out why.
Site Description:
This site draws upon the works of
naturalists -- also, it draws upon the works of metaphysical
philosophers. And this may seem an odd juxtaposition of materials,
as the two disciplines share little common ground at present. Dialogues
between naturalists and metaphysical philosophers can be contentious;
and we, being audience to the ensuing disagreements, are led to believe
that a fundamental dichotomy separates their disciplines -- or worse, to
believe that one discipline can prosper only at the expense of the
other.
But these common notions are not sound. This document is an essay
which proves that naturalism and metaphysical philosophy can coexist
peacefully in the modern mind.
The essay itself comprises nineteen chapters. The chapters are
best read in sequential order, starting at Chapter 1.
Readers who desire to judge the philosophy's practical value may prefer
to skip ahead to Chapter 18. Metaphysics by Default can be useful
to the ethicist or ecologist, and Chapter 18 explores this potential
utility.
Readers who wonder at the inclusion of so much history in a modern work
should hazard first the dedication of Chapter 19. The dedication
invokes qualities of Hellenic spirit which are lost to us, and which
this modern essay perforce recovers.
Some supporting documents are also available through site navigation:
