#human nature and human diversity

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Herodotean Journeys: Diversity and Political Judgment in Herodotus’ Histories

"Abstract (summary):

In his Histories, the ancient Greek Historian Herodotus posits that to mock other cultures is sure proof of madness, for “If there were a proposition put before mankind, according to which each should, after examination, choose the best customs in the world, each nation would certainly think its own customs the best.” (Histories, 3.38). Herodotus thus suggests how difficult it is to judge across cultures; even after examination, judgment is constrained by conventional boundaries. Yet in his Histories, Herodotus himself continually examines other cultures; he is able to genuinely engage with the diversity of his world. In this dissertation, I argue that Herodotus therefore models a way of engaging with diversity, precisely because he attends to the affective attachments that often impede such investigation. His work therefore offers a therapy of judgment for his readers, one accomplished through the way Herodotus’ artful narrative inserts his audience into his story; the spectating audience is led to inquire into difference, to feel the excitement of inquiry, and, occasionally, to suffer a chastening recognition when such looking goes awry. The inquirer can be heroic, like Herodotus, wrestling with competing logoi and saving them from the ravages of time. But Herodotus uses textual foils to demonstrate some of the pitfalls that can befall inquiry. The inquirer can be a mere voyeur; hobbled by conceptual errors; a mad imperialist; or one’s inquiries can be barren, kept private and to oneself, offering no aid or insight to one’s community. Herodotus’s example transcends these foils. Yet Herodotus does not merely show these errors; he lets the audience ‘feel’ them, and so be implicated in these marred inquiries. These painful recognitions lead his audience to suffer vicariously with others, and so to gain insight usually won too late. His method, which recruits and thus rehabilitates the attachments of his audience, thus helps to communicate the substance of his inquiries. To rehabilitate the attachment of his audience, Herodotus must spark the desire to inquire for its own sake. To do this, Herodotus reveals that attending to diversity matters because the multiplicity of cultures reveals the complexity of nature. Attending to diversity allows us to understand ourselves as human beings. Herodotus, the first historian, suggests that the purpose of history - in Greek, inquiry - is not simply to determine the facts and dates of what happened, but rather to inquire into what mankind has brought into being: not only what happened, but our stories about what happened: customs, traditions, and songs. His inquiry is into what these phenomena reveal about who we are."

Lindsay Mahon Rathnam Herodotean Journeys: Diversity and Political Judgment in Herodotus’ Histories, PhD thesis, University of Toronto

Source: https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/handle/1807/89728

Lindsay Mahon Rathnam is Political Theorist and Assistant Professor of Political Science at Duke Kunshan University.  Specialities: Ancient Political Thought, History of Political Thought, Comparative Political Theory

[tygerland]

"A little Olympus outside the greater..." - Walter Pater, 1876, from A Study of Dionysus.

Henri Matisse Dance [II] 1909. Oil on canvas: 259 × 390 cm (102 × 153 in).

[dead-salmon]

hsrtwt is the only place where you'll see someone mad that one of the colonizer gang members, who is shown as the most bloodthirsty & cruel, isn't black

[growingrobinart]

'Unity through Diversity' by Robin M Koppensteiner 🍀 growingrobin.com

[mitchyhawk]

asymmetrical faces get the hate they don’t deserve, especially by the owners of them. the slight differences of your very own features is what makes you different, what makes you unique. one side of your face tells a contrasting story from the other. that’s a beautiful thing. the asymmetry tells me you sleep on one side more than the other, which eye is stronger in sight, which side you lay your hand on the most, and just tells me you’re born that way. i find it beautiful.

[cluescorner]

Dottore is probably super pro-trans ppl. Like, not just ‘hey it’s cool if you’re trans’ he’s like ‘OH THANK THE TSARITSA WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP ME EXPERIMENT WITH CHANGING THE HUMAN FORM??’ Like, man probably sees trans-people and he’s like ‘Yet more people who choose to live in defiance of the Gods and traditional principles, this is an absolute win’! This dude could not be more excited that trans people exist, he is so fucking happy about it. He is in the midst of trying to invent all types of gender-affirming care, he probably gave Scara his top surgery and invented HRT by experimenting on people. He did all of this in the most unethical way possible because he’s still a piece of shit, but imagine being a random Fatui soldier and being trans and like ‘Oh no how will I know if my superiors will accept me’. But then you’ve got Dottore hanging signs in the barracks like ‘Trans? Good. Come to the lab and I’ll remove/implant your tits.’ 

[girlbob-boypants]

Owls are actually so cool btw. Highly recommend looking into the way their feathers are designed to completely silence when they flap by dispersing the air and sound. It's wild

[sharpilu]

looked in the nature wives tag for inspo and all i got was annoyed at the lack of muscular esmp2!Katherine. it's literally canon c'mon guys sobs

[blueheartbookclub]

"Whimsical Wonders: Navigating the Uncharted Realms of Imagination in H. G. Wells' 'Thirty Strange Stories'"

H. G. Wells, renowned for his pioneering works in science fiction, extends an invitation to the peculiar corners of his creative mind with "Thirty Strange Stories." This collection, published in [year], is a compendium of tales that transcends the conventional boundaries of storytelling. The title alone suggests a literary odyssey into the extraordinary, and Wells does not disappoint, offering readers a kaleidoscopic array of narratives that blur the lines between the plausible and the fantastical.

The stories within this collection showcase Wells' remarkable ability to traverse genres and themes. From the whimsically speculative to the hauntingly macabre, each tale is a testament to Wells' mastery of the short story form. The title acts as a portal, beckoning readers into a realm where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the mundane is transformed into the extraordinary. As the pages turn, readers are transported from the familiar to the uncharted territories of Wells' vivid imagination.

One of the distinguishing features of "Thirty Strange Stories" is Wells' uncanny knack for blending scientific speculation with elements of the supernatural. In tales such as [specific story], he weaves together speculative concepts with a keen understanding of human nature, creating narratives that are both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. The title serves as a teaser, enticing readers with the promise of the strange and the unexplored.

Wells' narrative finesse is particularly evident in his characterizations. Whether introducing eccentric inventors, time travelers, or ordinary individuals thrust into extraordinary circumstances, Wells crafts characters that linger in the reader's imagination. The title "Thirty Strange Stories" acts as a tantalizing preview, hinting at the diverse cast of characters that populate this literary menagerie.

Furthermore, the thematic breadth of the collection is striking. Wells tackles societal issues, philosophical quandaries, and the profound mysteries of existence within the framework of speculative fiction. The title encapsulates the overarching theme of the uncanny, suggesting a journey through narratives that challenge the boundaries of reality and the limitations of human understanding.

As readers delve into the pages of "Thirty Strange Stories," they encounter a tapestry of ideas that reflect Wells' fascination with the unknown. The title becomes a guide through this labyrinth of narratives, promising unexpected twists, intellectual delights, and moments of sheer astonishment. From the first story to the thirtieth, Wells maintains a grip on the reader's attention, orchestrating a symphony of strangeness that resonates long after the final page is turned.

In conclusion, "Thirty Strange Stories" by H. G. Wells is a testament to the author's unparalleled imagination and narrative prowess. The title serves as a thematic overture, encapsulating the essence of a collection that transcends the boundaries of conventional storytelling. Wells' ability to seamlessly blend the ordinary with the extraordinary, the scientific with the supernatural, makes this anthology a captivating journey into the uncharted realms of the human imagination. As readers embark on this literary odyssey, the title becomes a whispered promise of strange wonders waiting to be discovered within the pages of Wells' extraordinary tales.

"Thirty Strange Stories." by H. G. Wells is available in Amazon in paperback 14.99$ and hardcover 22.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 407

Language: English

Rating: 9/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[philosophybitmaps]

[themonsterp]

The relationship  between fire and Biodiversity.

What would be the consequences for landscape, habitat or species diversity if uniform fire régimes were applied to an entire landscape?

In many parts of the world, fire is primarily perceived as a threat to human life and property and as an ecological disaster causing irreversible damages to Nature and its biodiversity. Population experience of catastrophic wildfires over the last decades in many parts of the,  fire is primarily perceived as a threat to human life and property and as an ecological disaster causing irreversible damages to Nature and its biodiversity. Population experience of catastrophic wildfires over the last decades in many parts of the world has served to reinforce this belief.

Fire is a paradox- it is both a disturbance that can cause extensive ecological damages, but it is also nature’s way to ensure the regeneration and the persistence of biological systems. Fire is an old phenomenon that has largely contributed to shape the evolution of the vegetation of many biomes. Fire is one of the main factors that helps in maintaining this precious treasure we call “Biodiversity”.

There is considerable concern about the conservation of biodiversity around the world, not only because species and habitats within these hotspots are rare, threatened of extinction, or show evolutionary uniqueness, but also of the recognition that biodiversity has an economic value.

Biodiversity directly benefits our well-being by contributing to the quality of life, supports local economies by providing food and ensures the regulation of natural processes. Over recent decades, many studies have highlighted the importance of biological diversity for enhancing ecosystem productivity and the fluxes of matter and energy such as nutrient cycling, carbon storage or hydrologic cycles.

According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment , global warming is about to become the overriding threat to biodiversity. Predictions of global mean surface temperature increase raise the probability of recurrent catastrophic events such as large high-intensity wildfires.  In addition to climate change, direct human activities may also cause significant changes in the fire regimes in these areas. Fire is the main ecological disturbance  and is managed differently in each area. The consequences of climate change and land use change combined with inadequate fire management may originate cascading and irreversible ecological effects resulting in a global loss of biodiversity.

Relationship between Fire and Biodiversity  and the use of fire as a tool.

Fire regime had a major influence on the diversity of life form and regenerative. Fire affects vegetation dynamics and helps to maintain the diversity of plant communities and landscapes . However, the influence of fire on the distribution and composition of vegetation patterns is moderated by interactions with the physical environment and land use.

There now is scientific consensus that fire has played an important role in the ecology and evolution of ecosystems at multiple scales and that these areas owe their floristic distribution and ecological properties to a large extent to fire. At the species level, many plants can be weakened or even destroyed by fire but many others rely on fire for their reproduction the recycling of nutrients, and the removal of dead or senescent vegetation. 

Fires can alter stand structure by killing the overstorey species, shift the patterns of plants species by modifying the biochemical processes and therefore generate new habitats within the landscape mosaic. In other words, landscape equilibrium over time relies on a suite of multidirectional post-disturbance pathways, which further contribute to shape biological diversity from the patch to the landscape level.

When fires are recurrent, the inter-fire interval becomes shorter than the time that fire-sensitive species need to produce viable seeds or to accumulate a critical seed store for self-replacement.

Unplanned fires generally generate a higher heat release than prescribed burns, which destroys shallow-buried seeds and can therefore significantly reduce the seeders pool.

There has been some development of theory on how pyrodiversity might be related to biodiversity. The ‘Pyrodiversity-Biodiversity’ paradigm states that pyrodiversity begets biodiversity. Because there is no optimal fire regime that is suitable for all species of a given habitat, landscape or ecosystem, a diversity of fire patterns that allows the co-existence of many taxa, and hence promotes biological diversity is usually advocated. 

Pyrodiversity describes the spectrum of fire regimes within any given landscape and refers to the variability in recurrence, intensity, seasonality and dimensions of fire patterns across that landscape. Pyrodiversity in all fire-prone systems is determined to a large extent by climatic conditions and terrain characteristics but also increasingly by human influences as many of the areas concerned come under increasing pressure from population growth and modified land use.

Pyrodiversity is also closely linked to the spatial distribution and arrangement of vegetation communities of different seral stages, structure and species composition. Maintenance of pyrodiversity is  central to the conservation of ecosystems associated with high ecological value. Landscape pyrodiversity encapsulates the range of spatiotemporal variability of disturbance by fire.

Human activities and fire are considered to be the main drivers of recent change in landscape patterns. Understanding how fire interacts with other processes to shape current landscape patterns and their respective biodiversity is becoming increasingly important as climates change, as the wildland–urban interface expands and as human influence on fire regimes increases. It is clear that some amount of pyrodiversity is needed for biodiversity conservation.

Land alteration and/or management practices that decrease landscape complexity such as fire suppression or land abandonment, may create landscapes that are prone to larger, more intense fires. Pyrodiversity describes the spectrum of fire regimes within any given landscape and refers to the variability in recurrence, intensity, seasonality and dimensions of fire patterns across that landscape. Landscape pyrodiversity has a clearly discernible influence on the degree of compositional change between and within mosaic of habitats within the landscape. High pyrodiversity promotes landscape heterogeneity and thereby high beta diversity.

Although many efforts have been dedicated to the protection and conservation of plant species, we are currently facing a loss of biodiversity around the world, with some of the most threatened habitats being in Ecosystems.

Understanding how variations of biodiversity will affect ecosystems processes becomes essential if we want to preserve the ecosystem services essential for human well-being.

Fire is considered one of the main drivers of plant diversity. Plant communities are considered to have high resilience to fire and are adapted to fire regimes through plant traits such as resprouting, seed germination by heat-shock and smoke and fruit serotiny.

Functional diversity defines the variability of groups of species that use the same resources and respond to the environment in a similar way. Each plant trait is expected to play a specific function role that contributes to the sustainability of ecosystem processes.

Does pyrodiversity begets biodiversity?

Our perception of the effects of fire on the environment depends on the scale we consider this phenomenon. A single fire event may have severe short-term impacts on the diversity of plant species, killing most of obligatory seed regenerating plant species, but if we extend the time window it appears that fire may be the only way to ensure reproduction through stimulating regeneration . Similarly, when considering different spatial scales, the effects of fire on the diversity of a forest stand may be compensated at the regional scale by the occurrence of similar taxa in other habitats.If landscape diversity is defined as the combination of the number of vegetation types or landscape richness) and the degree of spatial heterogeneity , high pyrodiversity promotes regional landscape diversity.  Pyrodiversity begets plant diversity from the species to the landscape level. The need for improved knowledge of the pyrodiversity requirements of other taxonomic groups to improve our understanding of the ecological role of fire and develop an appropriate and integrated fire management approach in fire-prone landscapes.

Depending on targeted conservation objectives , conservation agencies need to be able to adapt their fire policy, whether using prescribed burning as a surrogate for wildfires or by re-thinking the current fire suppression policy to meet biodiversity conservation objectives.

Fire is definitely a hot topic surrounded by many misbelieves from the public side and a burning issue much debated by the scientific community. This diversity of opinions enriches our cultural, social and ecological perception of this phenomenon. Unfortunately human societies have nowadays a harsh dilemma to deal with the environment as we see it today is the product of fire, but we cannot tolerate fire in this environment to the degree that we have lived with it in the past or to the degree that is required to maintain biodiversity. Thus, in a way, fire challenges how we connect to our environment and questions how we perceive Nature. Legislation and incentives that support excessive protectionism and overlook the historical importance of the fire regime do not contribute to save this natural legacy. To the other extreme, excessive human interventionism that begets inappropriate fire management strategies may lead to reversible impacts on biodiversity.

Made by @themonsterp and inspired by Nicolas Faivre – Which pirodiversity for what biodiversity.

[spotlightstudios]

Me, looking at my OCs: No, no. I definitely have diversity.

My bajillion characters that are 90% shadow blob:

[quinnthequeercaterpillar]

imma be honest i…….. i did not know that people thought alex was straight. like i just. i wasn’t aware

[in-sightpublishing]

I’m #HumanistBecause it reflects my approach to life

Publisher: In-Sight Publishing Publisher Founding: September 1, 2014 Publisher Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada Publication: Freethought Newswire Original Link: https://humanists.uk/2024/08/13/im-humanistbecause-it-reflects-my-approach-to-life/ Publication Date: August 13, 2024 Organization: Humanists UK Organization Description: Humanists UK is the…

[poligraf]

Unity in diversity is the highest possible attainment of a civilisation, a testimony to the most noble possibilities of the human race. This attainment is made possible through passionate concern for choice, in an atmosphere of social trust.

— Michael Novak