On this episode of Free Range, Mike Livermore is joined by Laura Candiotto, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pardubice in the Czech Republic. Candiotto’s recent paper, "Loving the Earth by Loving a Place," serves as the starting point for the conversation in today’s episode. 

Candiotto begins by highlighting how her understanding of loving nature differs from common usage. She argues that if we take up the love of nature in a casual way, we cannot really appreciate its moral and political value. Candiotto mentions that she begins with the account of love as care. It is not just a feeling of enjoyment, but caring about this subject’s well-being. She also mentions the value account, entailing that we appreciate some qualities, specific features, and intrinsic value of the object. Next, there is the fusion account of love, which spells out the idea that when we love, we really want to be one with our beloved. Often, this leads to the idea that love is an idea of oneness with the other. Candiotto accepts the care and value accounts but challenges the fusion or universal account (0:54 - 5:44).

Livermore and Candiotto then turn to the role of philosophy in understanding a phenomenon like love of nature. Candiotto argues that philosophy is a practice. The goal is to understand how we’re using these words to provide clarity about what we’re talking about while articulating a vision of what our relationship could be. Philosophy in this context entails an ethical transformation of self betterment. (5:45 - 12:42) Her aim is starting from specific contexts to get to the universal perspective. (12:43-14:23) 

Candiotto further explores the problems with the fusion model of love. Candiotto argues that we miss a lot by reaching for oneness. We miss rich biodiversity, otherness, mystery, uniqueness, and the value that comes with difference. (14:24-22:47)

The conversation then turns to the concept of meaning-making. (22:48-31:40) Candiotto claims that this process is participatory and has to do with the development of certain attitudes. There is a natural connection to love because both require an other-oriented perspective. (31:41-34:47) If we maintain a dualistic assumption that nature is just a resource or just other, we are underestimating the value of this fundamental process of interdependent autonomy. (34:48-39:19)

The two turn to the question of listening in the participatory sense making process (39:20-49:10) and to the question of whether loving nature is essential to a good life. (49:11-56:20) The conversation ends by discussing the relationship between the love of nature and a global environmental movement able to lead to broad political change. (56:21-1:03:25)

S2E1. Laura Candiotto on Loving Nature

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S2E1. Laura Candiotto on Loving Nature

Free Range with Mike Livermore