One of the
fundamental tenets of Deep Ecology is the notion of
self-realization. Relying heavily upon the works of Muir, Thoreau,
Leopold, and the Romantic and American Transcendental
traditions,
Deep Ecologists
assert that–in order truly and appropriately to perceive and
understand the world, our place in it, and our duties to
it–we must first dismiss the assumed but inaccurate
bifurcation between self and nature. We must grasp the depth of the
relational reality of all things, including the non-human world. In
addition to the general character and self-image building mentioned
above, wilderness preservation becomes crucial for Deep Ecologists
because designated nature sites are, for them, necessary components
in this process of self-realization–a sort of asylum of
reorientation where this relational self ideal can take
form.
We must, therefore,
maintain areas of "wildness" in order to achieve a complete and
appropriate view of self. Designated conservation areas are
crucial, according to this argument, for individual development and
continued self-existence.
