Respond to the prompt below in your own words. You must write more than 150 words, but you must not write more than 250 words. Do not waste time introducing the topic or explaining the basic concepts of the class. Respond to the prompt directly, completely, and succinctly.

Preface:

Reread sections IV and V of Eric Katz’s “The Call of the Wild” (pages 218-220).

In class, I discussed Katz’s main point in this way: Katz thinks that wild (i.e. non-human) nature is free in the same sense that you and I are free. If our freedom is morally important, then wildness is important for the same reason. Katz writes that “Wherever it exists, in nature or in human culture, the process of domination attacks the preeminent value of self-realization” (219). Katz thinks that wild nature, and that usually includes animals, plants, microbes, ecosystems, etc., are self-realizing, spontaneous, undesigned, self-determining, free beings—just like human beings. That is one of the primary sources of their intrinsic value, just as it is for us. We don’t value our freedom because of what it can get for us, since we value freedom even if it means we might make worse choices than if we were unfree. It is the freedom itself that is valuable. A happy, healthy slave is still a slave after all.

Prompt: 

1. Summarize and briefly explain what Katz says about freedom and its value, and whether it can be found in wild nature.
2. Think about whether you agree with Katz about the commonality of freedom in humans and non-human nature (animals, plants, microbes, ecosystems, etc.)
   • If you agree, explain why. Support Katz’s position with reasoning and argumentation.
   • If you disagree, explain why. Explain your contrary view and support it with reasoning and argumentation.
3. Whether you agree or disagree with Katz, suppose that his view is correct. What implications does this have for how humans relate to and interact with nature?