Adam Creason - Tender Carnivore & Sacred Game (first section)

Paul Shepard’s novel addresses the relationship between man and nature, but more specifically posits that man must understand history in order to fully understand the problems of today. He first discusses domesticated animals and how we, as humans, have interacted with and perceived them. He also mentions the domestication of plants. In doing so, he explains how humans forget what nature truly is, and that humans forget the multiplicity of nature. He therefore argues that humans must change their societies and ways of life.

                One of his main arguments in his novel is that humans must combine our new technology with our former roles as hunter-gatherers. He says that creating this society allows us to move forward as a species by combining our intellectual capacity with our natural role as hunter-gathers. By doing this, humans can reduce their negative effects on the environment because the hunter-gatherer role is the most natural form of mankind. He therefore argues that traditional agriculture is a disease that harms the land and destroys ecosystems. Modified annual grasses upon which mankind depends (e.g., cereal). These modified plants take from the earth and the soil is left harmed. Meanwhile, perennial and wild plants serve a purpose in nature to revitalize the soil and improve that environment. He therefore believes that human nature and human ecology must combine with technology in order to remove the harmful outputs of humanity, such as industrial processes and the negative impacts that occur as a result.

                Although Shepard’s arguments would be nice in practice, I do not believe they are truly possible to realize. For example, reducing humanity back to hunter-gatherers I do not believe to be realistic. Even if it were realistic, I am not sure this would solve the problems that we currently have regarding ecology. However, certain aspects of his argument I do see where he is coming from. For example, I can see how the agricultural revolution causes the boom of offspring, which will of course result in more being demanded from the earth. If more is demanded from the earth alongside technological innovation, I can see how negative effects would occur. I can also see how agriculture created wars because people had more food security and land thus mattered for agriculture and similar production. However, I believe some of these arguments to go a little too far. Shepard’s writing, in this section, certainly breaks through the current barrier between man and nature, which as a result can create change to occur. With this, some of his ideas are too radical to be realized in modern society, unfortunately. There is still, of course, lessons in these radical ideas that can be applied to the modern context.