Consolations of Environmental Philosophy

Abstract

Due to successful protection and restoration efforts, humans and wild animals more and more often come to inhabit overlapping spaces. This is often experienced by humans as problematic, as animals may cause material damages to property and pose threats to humans and domesticated animals. These threats, as well as normative beliefs about belonging and culturally-based prejudices, often provoke distress or aggression towards animals. While philosophy has so far provided normative guidance as to what we should do in terms of developing proper relationships, the actual tools designed to facilitate the development of more peaceful cohabitation have been provided mostly by wildlife management and social sciences. In this contribution, I propose that environmental philosophy can provide conceptual tools easing the difficulties of cohabitation. One such tool is the practice of consolation. I begin by drawing a distinction between the contemporary and traditional forms of consolation. I further show that several common ethical arguments concerning cohabitation with wildlife can be seen as following the ancient concept of consolation. I close with some practical remarks regarding how environmental consolation could be practiced today in the context of difficult cohabitation with wildlife.