John Cage, Henry David Thoreau, Wild Nature, Humility, and Music
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-11-2021
Abstract
John Cage and Henry David Thoreau draw attention to the indeterminacy of wild nature and imply humans cannot entirely control the natural world. This paper argues Cage and Thoreau each encourages his audience to recognize their own human limitations in relation to wildness, and thus each helps his audience to develop greater humility before nature. By reflecting on how Thoreau’s theory relates to Cage’s music, we can recognize how Cage’s music contributes to audiences’ environmental moral education. We can appreciate the role of music in helping audiences to develop values conducive to environmentally sustainable practices.
Publication
Environmental Ethics
Publisher
Philosophy Documentation Center
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Recommended Citation
Corsa, A. J. (2021). John Cage, Henry David Thoreau, wild nature, humility, and music. Environmental Ethics, 43(3), 219-234. https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics202111828
