eco-phenomenology

Eco-phenomenology is a relatively new field in philosophy that advances awareness for what occurs in between an ecosystem and the human experiences of it. Through eco-phenomenology we can explore the world as infinitely more subtle, complex, and dynamic than anything from manmade society. We can also recognize that the Earth's wellbeing is in the hands of human beings who are all too dimly conscious of it. As we use personalized, wireless technologies—cell phones, laptops, iPods—what is happening to our attention? How aware are we of interactions down to the sensory cues that occur in the presence of one another? What does this mean to our feelings for another person and to our feelings of ourself? What does this mean in a world that is already fiercely competitive and anthopocentric? Is an ethical life tied to the full repertoire of being in a conscious, sensing body that locates itself in a place among other sentient, feeling bodies? By studying such experiences in a wireless age, it is possible to advance eco-phenomenological insights that would not have occurred to us otherwise. Could we change with new eyes, ears, alertness, with a deepened understanding of why such mundane encounters matter.