Riding the Wind: A New Philosophy for a New Era

In an attempt to ameliorate what he perceives to be the worst aspects of modern Western culture (rampant materialism, unbridled consumerism and the abuse of nature), Marshall (Nature's Web) offers a philosophic antidote to these ills that reaches into the Taoist wisdom of the ancient East. Marshall perceives a spiritual contamination that has arisen from the mechanistic interpretation of reality characteristic of Western thought for at least 300 years. His proposed alternative, which he calls ""liberation ecology,"" is a worldview that recognizes the structural balance of all things and seeks to reconcile human beings with the natural order. By repositioning itself in the balance of nature, with reverence for all life, humanity can overcome its current malaise and actually achieve joy. While Marshall's diagnosis is far from unique and may be seen as a touch naive by those trained in academic philosophy, his remedy is thoughtful and well developed. Lyrical anecdotes from the Chinese sages provide readers with a satisfying, coherent vision of reality that ranges into antiquity for authority. Marshall also draws on psychology, history and Native American sources in this interdisciplinary effort to persuade the open-minded that nature is a source of balance and harmony and that, rather than seek to control nature, we should strive to find our place in its concord. (Jan.)