Although many ecocritical works written by Romanticists and others have neglected the importance of 18th‐century English literature in the development of environmental concern, more recent ecocritical work has begun to pay closer and more sympathetic attention to writers from the end of the 17th century through the 1780s. New approaches to 18th‐century poetry have emphasized an appreciation of natural beauty and fragility as well as utility, and a critical recognition of the distinction between georgic and pastoral views has begun to highlight nature as a working world (georgic) rather than an archaic refuge. Appropriately, studies of working‐class poetry have now entered the field, and ecofeminism has begun to play a significant role in some recent revaluations. Postcolonial ecocriticism promises fuller development. A richer range of ecocritical readings of 18th‐century texts should begin to lead not only to reassessments of individual works or authors but of the history of environmental consciousness.
The eighteenth century has frequently been criticized for promulgating a hierarchical, utilitarian relationship between humans and the nonhuman world. This article argues that the legal concept of usufruct serves as the basis for eighteenth-century understandings of that hierarchy which show it to be more concerned with sustainable use of the environment than has heretofore been acknowledged. Usufruct explicitly combines the right to use nature with a responsibility to a higher authority to preserve it. Among the most important groups to whom humans are responsible according to eighteenth-century English writers are the future generations who will rely on the environment to survive.
This guide accompanies the following article: Drew, Erin and John Sitter: Ecocriticism and Eighteenth‐Century Studies. Literature Compass 8.5 (2011): 227–39, 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2011.00797.x Abstract In recent years, a growing number of 18th‐century scholars have begun applying an ecocritical lens to texts that were previously ignored or denigrated by environmental literary critics. These scholars have argued that 18th‐century English literature consistently expresses profound love and concern for the non‐human world even as it often celebrates human use of it. Meanwhile, the environmental legacy of 18th‐century developments like the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of the Anthropocene – the geological epoch in which humans have become the primary driver of climatic change – establish in an unprecedentedly concrete fashion the fundamental connection between 18th‐ and 21st‐century environmental concerns. That connection makes it especially appropriate to pair 18th‐century English literature and ecocriticism in the classroom. The course outlined in this article combines units that survey trends in 18th‐century nature writing and environmental history with those that apply ecocritical approaches such as ecofeminism to a selection of 18th‐century texts in order to provide students with a strong command of both ecocriticism and 18th‐century English literature on nature. Author’s Introduction In recent years, a growing number of 18th‐century scholars have begun applying an ecocritical lens to texts that were previously ignored or denigrated by environmental literary critics. These scholars have argued that 18th‐century English literature consistently expresses profound love and concern for the non‐human world even as it often celebrates human use of it. The contradictions evident in 18th‐century literature, many of these scholars then argue, mirror 21st‐century attitudes towards nature more closely than has usually been recognized, in both their positive and negative aspects. Meanwhile, the environmental legacy of 18th‐century developments like the Industrial Revolution and colonial expansion continue to shape the modern world. The emergence of the Anthropocene in the mid‐18th century – the geological epoch in which humans have become the primary driver of climatic change – establishes in an unprecedentedly concrete fashion the fundamental connection between 18th‐ and 21st‐century environmental concerns. That connection makes it especially appropriate to pair 18th‐century English literature and ecocriticism in the classroom. Reading 18th‐century texts through the lens of environmental criticism draws out aspects of Enlightenment thought that are particularly applicable to the contradictions and struggles of modern environmental thinking. Similarly, studying 18th‐century history and literature of the environment gives students a deeper understanding of the origins and implications of climate change and environmentalism. The course outlined in this article is broken down into four units, organized thematically. Th...
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