SALON LUITPOLD | Vom Suchen und Finden der Wildnis

In the organizer's words:

A PhiloLab on the trail of nature writing

By and with students of LMU Munich, in cooperation with the Romano-Guardini Visiting Professorship for Philosophy of Religion (LMU Munich)

In our modern world, many people have lost their direct connection to nature. And we are even less exposed to what could be called wilderness. This development can certainly be seen as an achievement that allows for a largely secure and comfortable everyday life. At the same time, it is often perceived as alienation. Nature is becoming a place of longing for stressed-out city dwellers, and getting out - at least temporarily - is becoming the dream of those tired of civilization. Having experiences in (and with) nature not only promises relaxation, but also entices with the promise of being able to find oneself in this way.

Since Henry David Thoreau's Walden, the actual search for and discovery of the intense life in the wilderness has also been the subject of literary reflection. Thoreau's account of "life in the woods" (the subtitle of the book), or more precisely: in a self-built hut on Lake Walden, is exemplary of the tradition of nature writing. It reflects the struggle for a different relationship with nature, which is more relevant today than ever. The aim of nature writing is to cultivate mindfulness and resonance through precise and empathetic descriptions and to make the "visible visible" (J. Goldstein). It is therefore not intended to be comfort literature that imagines an untouched nature. Rather, it focuses on our own perception and experience, including our own, possibly romanticized ideas of nature.

What could it mean to go in search of wilderness in a world in which there is actually no more untouched nature? In what ways can our attention be trained? What language do we find for our experiences with nature? And what does this say about ourselves? Dealing with these and similar questions is too important to be left in the seminar room. Students from LMU Munich will open up a reflexive experimental space in the footsteps of nature writing, which will invite us to reflect together through philosophical impulses and interventions. No previous knowledge is required!