Arne Naess, Ecophilosopher, dies at 96

Norwegian philosopher and founder of the deep ecology movement Arne Naess (27 January 1912 – 12 January 2009) died at age 96. Naess was trained in logical positivism and assumed the chairmanship of the philosophy department at the University of Oslo at age 27. His early retirement from the philosophy ratrace was accomplished at age 57 allowing him to devote himself to political activism and a deeper critique of industrial society and its relation to the natural world that he called 'Deep Ecology'. His own version of that philosophy--Ecosophy T--was developed from a syncretism of Spinoza, Gandhi, and his own earlier work on communication theory. Central to his philosophical view was the idea of nature having an 'intrinsic value' and therefore being worthy of moral concern and respect. Equally important was his notion of self as capable of expansion beyond the narrow ego to encompass (contingent upon spiritual maturity) the whole of nature. On only one occassion did I meet Arne. It was at UC Santa Cruz at a talk he gave on deep ecology. Afterward, as he was leaving the lecture hall I asked him what to do when persons do not share basic intuitions about the intrinsic value of nature. He was old then and with a twinkle in his eye reached down and picked a flower and smiled at me saying softly, "you must show them." Long live the spirit of Arne Naess!