Forthcoming in Environmental Values ©The White Horse Press http://www.whpress.co.uk
1
In Search of Allies for Postnatural Environmentalism,
or Revisiting an Ecophilosophical Reading of Heidegger
Magdalena Holy-Luczaj
Abstract
This paper enhances postnatural environmentalism (represented by Steven Vogel) by highlighting and
incorporating selected concepts from Martin Heidegger’s ontology. In particular, I examine
Heidegger’s detailed analysis of the affinity between phusis and techne, the critique of “replaceability”,
the problem of “proper use”, and his earlier concept of a tool structure. This analysis is aimed at
grounding the metaphysical and ethical significance of technical artifacts. It shows that Heidegger can
support postnatural environmentalism’s claim that artifacts shouldn’t be jettisoned by environmental
thinking because that leads to reckless treatment of them. Exploration of these issues also contributes to
environmental interpretations of Heidegger’s philosophical legacy, which were limited to natural
beings.
Keywords: postnatural environmentalism, artifacts, Heidegger, Vogel
Introduction
In Thinking Like a Mall Steven Vogel criticizes currents in environmental philosophy that either ignore
or express hostility toward artifacts. Not only do environmental philosophers exclude artifacts from the
scope of their interest, but they also describe usable things as metaphysically and ethically inferior.
Postnatural environmentalism as advocated by Vogel opposes this tendency and calls for a
reconsideration of the metaphysical and ethical condition of artifacts. In this article, I show that Steven
Vogel’s analysis can find support in the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, since Heidegger argues
artifacts are not metaphysically defective. This addition also allows us to enrich our understanding of