I recently came across the existence of a relatively new discipline which combines principles of both psychology and ecology. The general focus of this merging, commonly called "ecopsychology" is humanity's interaction with the environment, specifically the Natural environment. Traditionally, psychology has regarded the human individual in isolation though at times giving some consideration to the human individual as influenced by society (e.g. social psychology). It has not, however, considered the human individual in regards to the greater context of the biosphere. So here are a few questions for ya:
Is the model of considering the human person only in relation to other humans/cultures/societies erroneous?
What sorts of insights do you think might arise from giving consideration to non-human factors when examining individual or social behaviors?
The book I am reading on ecopsychology describes the Western relationship with Nature as a mental illness. Do you agree?
