Plants As Persons: A Philosophical Botany

249 Pages·2011·31.597 MB·English

by  Hall, Matthew

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PLANTS AS PERSONS
SUNYseriesonReligionandtheEnvironment
HaroldCoward,editor
P
L A N T S
A S
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E R S O N S
(cid:2)
A Philosophical Botany
MATTHEW HALL
Coverart,“Betulapedant,”courtesyofMairiGillieswww.mairigillies.com2010.
PublishedbyStateUniversityofNewYorkPress,Albany
©2011StateUniversityofNewYork
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
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ProductionbyKelliW.LeRoux
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Hall,Matthew,1980-
Plantsaspersons:aphilosophicalbotany/MatthewHall.
p.cm.— (SUNYseriesonreligionandtheenvironment)
Includesbibliographicalreferences(p. )andindex.
ISBN978-1-4384-3429-2(hardcover:alk.paper)
ISBN978-1-4384-3428-5(pbk.:alk.paper) 1.Botany—Philosophy. I.Title.
QK46.H352011
580.1--dc22
2010018516
10987654321
ForVal

C
ONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
APhilosophicalBotany 1
1 THE ROOTS OF DISREGARD: EXCLUSION AND INCLUSION IN
CLASSICAL GREEK PHILOSOPHY 17
2 DOGMA AND DOMINATION: KEEPING PLANTS AT A DISTANCE 37
3 PASSIVE PLANTS IN CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS 55
4 DEALING WITH SENTIENCE AND VIOLENCE IN HINDU, JAIN,
AND BUDDHIST TEXTS 73
5 INDIGENOUS ANIMISMS, PLANT PERSONS, AND
RESPECTFUL ACTION 99
6 PAGANS, PLANTS, AND PERSONHOOD 119
7 BRIDGING THE GULF: MOVING, SENSING, INTELLIGENT, PLANTS 137
RecreatingaPlaceforFlourishing 157
Notes 171
Bibliography 209
Index 229
vii