The biophilia hypothesis (also called BET) suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek
connections with nature and other forms of life.
Edward O. Wilson introduced and popularized the hypothesis in his book, ''Biophilia'' (1984). He defines biophilia as the "innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes". He argued that "to explore and affiliate with life is a deep and complicated process in mental development. To an extent still undervalued in philosophy and religion, our existence depends on this propensity, our spirit is woven from it, hope rises on its currents". Wilson saw modern biology as converging with biophilia: "Modern biology has produced a genuinely new way of looking at the world that is incidentally congenial to the inner direction of biophilia. In other words, instinct is in this rare instance aligned with reason. . . . to the degree that we come to understand other organisms, we will place a greater value on them, and on ourselves".
Natural affinity for living systems
"Biophilia" is an innate affinity of life or living systems. The term was first used by
Erich Fromm
Erich Seligmann Fromm (; ; March 23, 1900 – March 18, 1980) was a German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist. He was a German Jew who fled the Nazi regime and set ...
to describe a
psychological orientation of being attracted to all that is alive and vital. Wilson uses the term in a related sense when he suggests that biophilia describes "the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life." He proposed the possibility that the deep affiliations humans have with other life forms and nature as a whole are rooted in our biology. Both positive and negative (including phobic) affiliations toward natural objects (species, phenomenon) as compared to artificial objects are evidence for biophilia.
Although named by Fromm, the concept of biophilia has been proposed and defined many times over.
Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
was one of many to put forward a concept that could be summarized as "love of life". Diving into the term ''philia'', or friendship, Aristotle evokes the idea of reciprocity and how friendships are beneficial to both parties in more than just one way, but especially in the way of happiness.
The hypothesis has since been developed as part of theories of
evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology is a theoretical approach in psychology that examines cognition and behavior from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify human psychological adaptations with regard to the ancestral problems they evolved ...
.
Taking on an evolutionary perspective people are drawn towards life and nature can be explained in part due to our evolutionary history of residing in natural environments, only recently in our history have we shifted towards an urbanized lifestyle.
These connections to nature can still be seen in people today as people gravitate towards, identify with, and desire to connect with nature. These connections are not limited to any one component part of nature, as people show connections to a wide range of natural things including plants, animals, and environmental landscapes. One possible explanation is that our ancestors who had stronger connections to nature would hold an evolutionary advantage over less connected people as they would have better knowledge and therefore access to food, water, and shelter. In a broader and more general sense research has suggested that our modern urban environments are not suited for minds that evolved in natural environments.
Human preferences toward things in
nature
Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
, while refined through experience and culture, are hypothetically the product of biological evolution. For example, adult mammals (especially humans) are generally attracted to baby mammal faces with their large eyes and rounded features and find them
appealing across species. Similarly, the hypothesis helps explain why ordinary people care for and sometimes risk their lives to save domestic and wild animals, and keep plants and flowers in and around their homes. In the book ''Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural, and Evolutionary Investigations'' edited by Peter Kahn and Stephen Kellert,
the importance of animals, especially those with which a child can develop a nurturing relationship, is emphasized particularly for early and middle childhood. The same book reports on the help that animals can provide to children with
autistic-spectrum disorders.
Indigenous perspectives on the human-nature connection
Many Indigenous cultures do not draw a sharp distinction between humans and nature.
In these traditions, humans may be understood as an integral part of the natural world rather than as separate from it.
Human practices and ways of life may be seen to be based in relationships of reciprocity involving all living beings and the environment.
At the heart of such belief systems is the concept of kinship, which extends beyond human relationships and includes elements of the natural world.
Humans, other animals, plants and soil are seen as dependent on each other for survival and health.
For example, the
Haudenosaunee
The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
people express this idea through a "Thanksgiving Address", a ceremony intended to honor all aspects of nature.
Some Indigenous cultures have developed what has been referred to as "traditional ecological knowledge". This may include ostensibly sustainable stewardship practices such as controlled burns of vegetation, as employed in some traditional Native American and Aboriginal Australian societies. In Hawaii, the idea of
Aloha_ʻĀina aloha has served as a guide for responsible resource use.
Indigenous and animist beliefs typically view nature as sacred. Specific sites, species, or phenomena holding deep significance.
Emphasis is put on objectives such as reciprocity and balance. This may imply an idea of nature restoration through sustainable practices, rituals, and ceremonies.
For instance, the
Anishinaabe
The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe, Anicinape, Nishnaabe, Neshnabé, Anishinaabeg, Anishinabek, Aanishnaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of C ...
make offerings before harvesting wild rice.
Biophilic design
In
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
, biophilic design is a
sustainable design
Environmentally sustainable design (also called environmentally conscious design, eco-design, etc.) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of ecological sustainability ...
strategy that incorporates reconnecting people with the natural environment. It may be seen as a necessary complement to
green architecture
Sustainable architecture is architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings through improved efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, development space and the ecosystem at large. Sometimes, s ...
, which decreases the environmental impact of the built world but does not address human reconnection with the natural world.
Caperna and Serafini define biophilic design as that kind of architecture, which is able to supply our inborn need of connection to life and to the vital processes. Biophilic space has been defined as the environment that strengthens life and supports the sociological and psychological components. These spaces can have positive health effects on people including reducing mental health issues in stressful spaces such as prisons, reducing chronic pain, improving memory, and lowering blood pressure. Examples of this being studied in medical settings include having a window looking out to see living plants is also shown to help speed up the healing process of patients in hospitals. Similarly, having plants in the same room as patients in hospitals also speeds up their healing process.
Biophilia and conservation
Because of our technological advancements and more time spent inside buildings and cars disconnects us from nature, biophilic activities and time spent in nature may be strengthening our connections as humans to nature, so people continue to have strong urges to reconnect with nature.
The concern for a lack of connection with the rest of nature outside of us, is that a stronger disregard for other plants, animals and less appealing wild areas could lead to further ecosystem degradation and species loss. Therefore, reestablishing a connection with nature has become more important in the field of conservation. Examples would be more available green spaces in and around cities, more classes that revolve around nature and implementing smart design for greener cities that integrate ecosystems into them such as biophilic cities. These cities can also become part of wildlife corridors to help with migrational and territorial needs of other animals.
Biophilia in fiction
Canadian author
Hilary Scharper explicitly adapted
E.O. Wilson
Eo or EO may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Education Otherwise, a home education organization
* Elevorganisasjonen, a Norwegian student organization
* Entrepreneurs' Organization, a nonprofit network
* Evangelische Omroep, a publ ...
's concept of biophilia for her ecogothic novel, ''Perdita''. In the novel, Perdita (meaning "the lost one") is a
mythological figure who brings biophilia to humanity.
Biophilia and technology
American philosopher Francis Sanzaro has put forth the claim that because of advances in technological connectivity, especially the internet of things (IOT), our world is becoming increasingly driven by the biophilia hypothesis, namely, the desire to connect to forms of life.
[See Sanzaro's extended treatment of how algorithms are helping fuel techno-biophilia,]
Society Elsewhere: Why the Gravest Threat to Humanity Will Come From Within
" Sanzaro applies Wilson's theories to trends in artificial intelligence and psychoanalysis and argues that technology is not an antithesis to nature, but simply another form of seeking intimacy with nature.
See also
*
Biocultural evolution
Dual inheritance theory (DIT), also known as gene–culture coevolution or biocultural evolution, was developed in the 1960s through early 1980s to explain how human behavior is a product of two different and interacting evolutionary processes: ...
*
Biomimetics
Biomimetics or biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. The terms "biomimetics" and "biomimicry" are derived from (''bios''), life, and μίμησις (''mimes ...
*
Deep ecology
Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy that promotes the inherent worth of all living beings regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs, and argues that modern human societies should be restructured in accordance with such idea ...
*
Ecopsychology
Ecopsychology is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary field that focuses on the synthesis of ecology and psychology and the promotion of sustainability. It is distinguished from conventional psychology as it focuses on studying the emotion ...
*
Environmental psychology
Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology that explores the relationship between humans and the external world. It examines the way in which the natural environment and our built environments shape us as individuals. Environmental psycho ...
*
Healthy building
Healthy building refers to an emerging area of interest that supports the physical, psychological, and social health and well-being of people in buildings and the built environment. Buildings can be key promoters of health and well-being since mos ...
*
Nature deficit disorder
Nature-deficit disorder is the idea that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors than they have in the past, and the belief that this change results in a wide range of behavioral problems.
This disorder is not recogni ...
*
Ecosexuality
Sexecology, also known as ecosexuality, is a radical form of environmental activism based around nature fetishism, the idea of the earth as a lover. It invites people to treat the earth with love rather than see it as an infinite resource to explo ...
References
External links
Edward O. Wilson's Biophilia Hypothesis*
ttp://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/economics-of-biophilia/ The Economics of Biophilia- Terrapin Bright Green
*
Biophilia', website for ''Biophilia'' magazine
"Biophilic Design Patterns: Emerging Nature-Based Parameters for Health and Well-Being in the Built Environment"by Catherine O. Ryan, William D Browning, Joseph O Clancy, Scott L Andrews, Namita B Kallianpurkar (ArchNet-''International Journal of Architectural Research'')
14 Patterns of Biophilic Design- Terrapin Bright Green
"Biophilia: Does Visual Contact with Nature Impact on Health and Well-Being?"- National Center for Biotechnology Information
"Biophilic Architecture and Biophilic Design"by Antonio Caperna, International Society of Biourbanism
"Biourbanism for a healthy city: biophilia and sustainable urban theories and practices" by Antonio Caperna and Eleni Tracada, University of Derby (UK) - UDORA Repository
"Introduction to Biophilic Biophilic Design"by Antonio Caperna, International Society of Biourbanism
"Biophilic Design" Journal of Biourbanism Volume VI (1&2/2017) by Antonio Caperna Editor in Chief, International Society of Biourbanism
{{DEFAULTSORT:Biophilia Hypothesis
Environmental conservation
Environmental psychology
Evolutionary psychology
Hypotheses
Biological hypotheses