Traces on the Rhodian Shore: Nature and Culture in Western Thought from Ancient Times to the End of the Eighteenth Century

Rating:
Summary: Infinite context
Review: More than thirty years ago a book was published with an ambitious goal: to explore 'nature and culture in western thought from ancient times to the end of the eighteenth century.' Glacken traced this thought through time as three major ideas ebbed and flowed in social consciousness: that of the Earth designed for man, the influence of the environment on man, and man's influence on the environment. Glacken's book was praised as a monument and a scholarly accomplishment. Despite the passage of time, today's students of geography are still reading Glacken's tome; it hasn't been superseded. As Glacken was writing Traces, a book published in 1962 was challenging assumptions, not only in academia but on the popular scene as well. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring described the hidden dangers of pesticides, amplified by the interconnections in nature. Less then forty years later, such far-reaching impacts are relatively assumed; today, popular writers are trying to convince the world of environmental problems of a global nature. Despite major changes in the environment and our understanding of our place in it, Glacken's book is as important and unique now as it was in the 1960s. The relatively recent discoveries of global scale changes like ozone depletion and climate change have helped to underscore the third of Glacken's three themes, that of man's influence on the environment. Although these man-made, global threats could be seen as unprecedented, academics studying them would find insights and foreshadows in the historical context offered by Glacken in Traces. In early Greek writings Glacken finds conceptions of man apart from (and superior to) nature. Although a humble alternative can be found in the writing of Seneca, the prevailing notion of the time was enthusiasm for man's growing control over nature seen in advances in navigation, agriculture, domestication, and architecture. The Hellenistic period involved a continual growing awareness of man's influence on the environment, but few accompanying interpretations. Two exceptions are notable. First, the geographer Erastothenes recognized the complex factors behind environmental change by observing the island of Cyprus and the interactions of mining, navigation, and governmental land policy. Secondly, Theophrastus observed that colder temperatures followed the draining of a marsh. This was (perhaps) the beginning of a long history of speculation about man's ability to change the climate. The contemporary observer of man's impact on the environment will appreciate the significance of the dominant early ideas because, as Glacken's attention moves to the Christian Middle Ages, they change in degree but not in substance. The medieval times exhibit a continued, though perhaps rising, eagerness to control nature as the actions of land conversion, expansion, and colonization are regarded as Christian duties. Contrary to popular belief, the 'Dark Ages' were a time of invention, and newly created tools increased the pace of environmental change. Parallel to this, occurred conflicts over land use. They weren't, however, what we would call environmental, but concerned rights and the productive use of the land. In Early Modern Times, Glacken notes further increases in forest clearance and land reclamation resulting from metallurgy and other innovations. One of the outcomes was the observation that men make undesirable (and unplanned) changes in nature. For example, Evelyn wrote on air pollution in London (1661) and the French passed the Forest Ordinance of 1669 fearing that France might die for lack of wood. Such events symbolize the awareness of a broader relationship between men organized in societies and their physical environment. This is also apparent in the study of disturbed environments and the synthesis of traditional fields of study into what became the roots of modern ecology, forestry, and so on. Despite these progressions, early modern times were still a period of great optimism about the possibilities and achievements of man's progress. In the 18th century, the subject of climate change appears again. Milder winters and cooler summers suggested large scale climate change to some. Williamson rejected the idea that this was large scale, and suggested modifying the land to induce desirable local climates. Further modifications were suggested in the time of the 'New World.' As this land was being settled, man's influence on the environment was more obvious since the land was relatively virgin. Although Fabre (in the late 18th century) suggested that environmental change can be irreversible, this was still a time of optimism about man's effects on the environment. Writings such as Fabre's were generally too diffuse for the inherent philosophical importance to be explicit. Not until later in the 19th century, Glacken notes, does pessimism seriously challenge optimism and local observations move towards theoretical generalizations. Despite the fact that Glacken inevitably excludes some significant people and events, it is difficult to offer a serious criticism of Traces in light of the historical context that his book provides the contemporary geographer. As global-scale, man-made environmental changes begin to emerge, and as geographers attempt to advance human-environment theory in the presence of these changes, an understanding of the history of man's influence on the environment (and the associated philosophy) is invaluable.

Rating:
Summary: Treasured Reference Work
Review: Unfortunately, this is a book that many geographers may own, but few take the time to read. It is cited often, but I feel not understood very well. This is a work that all scholars will enjoy reading and will be a valuable reference work for decades to come.

I took a challenge from a professor to read the work one Christmas break. I was severely impressed with the book after reading it. But craming the reading into such a short period of time was difficult, and I do not feel those long sessions of reading were the best way to get the most from the work. But I enjoy using the index to look up topics of interest. And I feel that I need to look again at the introductory essay.

Glacken has three ideas that he draws out of his look at the history of Western thought: the idea of a designed earth; the idea of environmental influences on culture; and the idea of humans as a geographic agent. It is a must have for all geographers.