Department of Philosophy, Gustavus Adolphus College
Monday 28 September 2009
Cultivating Cosmic Patriotism by Cultivating Cosmos:
Urban Gardening and the Creation of Community
IUPUI, Cavanaugh Hall 411
425 University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202
This essay considers urban gardening as an important contemporary setting in which to cultivate what Jane Addams calls "cosmic patriotism," an alternative to the patriotism of the tribe, and a form of patriotism characterized by a commitment to multiculturalism, humanitarianism, and internationalism.
Community gardens, "guerilla gardens," and other collective, urban agricultural ventures offer the very sorts of urban settings Addams argued were crucial for the nurturance of such patriotism: a pleasurable, or recreational setting in which city residents could share their knowledge and culture with each other in a spirit of play and openness. Heldke will discuss these issues in an informal afternoon session.
No comments:
Post a Comment