Can Literature Save the World?
This is a final paper for one of my 300 level classes. It's philosophy I stand by, and would like to share it here. Enjoy! Introduction In our current historical moment, the state of the climate remains the largest global crisis we face. Mass extinction, ecological degradation, and pollution continue to advance; despite scientific data reaching greater conclusions and providing methods of preventing further destruction, environmental inaction persists in the domains of human life that matter. As we face alarming increases in anti-intellectualism and the denial of basic science, many scholars in the humanities are asking if literature could be the discipline that sways the public in favor of progress, academia, and environmental preservation. While literature cannot save the world in a material sense— active change involves direct implementations in public policy — the ideology and potential for activism underlying these works certainly can aid in the process. With literature, we ...