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From climate change to plastics: Why 'superobjects' can change the way we think?
At a time when the world is facing a climate crisis and environmental pollution, the concept of "hyperobjects" proposed by scholar Timothy Morton is triggering widespread discussions. What exactly is a hyperobject? How does this concept affect our understanding of the relationship between humans and the natural world?
Timothy Morton is a professor of English at Rice University in the United States. His research focuses on the intersection of object-oriented philosophy and ecology. The concept of "hyperobjects" proposed by Morton is used to describe objects that are extremely distributed in time and space and transcend locality, such as climate change and plastics. This rethinking of environmental challenges prompts a reassessment of our relationship with nonhuman existence.
Hyperobjects are so widely distributed that they transcend specific time and space and are no longer a visible object, but an existence involving higher dimensions.
Morton's book Humanity: Solidarity with Nonhumans delves into the divide between humans and nonhumans. He argues that we need to fundamentally rethink how humans view animals and nature, and explores the political implications of this shift. He pointed out that environmental issues are not just about technology or policy, but also about our philosophy and ethics.
He criticized traditional ecological concepts and believed that dichotomizing nature and civilization was a wrong thinking model. Morton proposes, "Ecocriticism must do away with this dichotomy, for nature should not be seen as an external being that maintains civilization."
The concept of "hyperobject" particularly reflects the complexity faced by today's society. These hyper-objects cover not only big-picture issues like climate change, but also plastic, a ubiquitous object in our daily lives. Morton points out that the existence of plastic is like a "sticky" entity that cannot be completely escaped, but is everywhere and attached to our lives.
Hyperobjects are not just collections of matter, but a network of relationships between these matter, which may continue to shape our lives.
From Morton's point of view, realizing the existence of these super objects allows us to no longer separate ourselves as an "observer", but to put down the previous thinking framework and face it from a more comprehensive perspective. these challenges. This way of thinking triggers a re-examination of the boundary between "me" and "other", which means that we must not only care about ourselves, but also pay attention to the interaction of all things as a whole.
Morton once said, "The existence of super objects reminds us that every choice is connected to a larger network of existence." This creates a new connection between individual subjective consciousness and the collective ecosystem. Every small action - whether it is shopping or food choice - is not isolated, and has environmental impact and responsibility behind it.
The significance of Morton's work is that it challenges the way we think. To understand the workings and impacts of these super-objects, we must learn how to interact with them and confront actions that may seem trivial but are crucial to global change. This not only requires reflection on one’s own lifestyle, but also requires practicing respect for non-human existence in life.
The current environmental crisis calls for us to re-engage our thinking and actions with the natural world, which is like asking us to re-experience a chaotic and complex ecosystem.
In today's world, the environmental problems faced by it are impossible to ignore. Morton's concept of "hyperobject" encourages us to rethink our own existence. We are no longer external observers of our environment, but part of the ecosystem and must assume corresponding responsibilities. Faced with these challenging issues, how can people from all walks of life take action to mitigate the impact of hyperobjects?
