We live in a time in which we are exhorted to worship or “live in harmony” with nature. Human beings are seen as despoilers of the earth who seem interested merely in causing wars and wrecking the environment. Many, adopting James Lovelock’s Gaia theory, believe that humans are a parasitic presence on the planet. Our misanthropic consensus deems that which is man-made “bad” and that which is natural “good”.
This is why organic food is seen as better than crops treated with pesticides, why orthodox medicine is spurned in favour of “natural remedies”, why genetically modified “Frankenstein foods” are shunned, why bottled spring water is thought healthier than chemically treated tap water. On edible goods in supermarkets, “natural” is now one of the words most commonly employed to appeal to consumers.
Content from our partners
