10/26/2026
Does an Examined Life Need Nature? A look back at our October 21 Café:
If we know that animals need their natural habitat to thrive, why do we assume humans are any different? That question drove the October 21 Philosophers’ Café, led by Chris Diehm, philosophy professor and director of the Environmental Ethics Program at UW–Stevens Point.
Diehm opened with a thought experiment: imagine designing an enclosure for a wild animal. Would it be alone in a white cinderblock box, or would it have space, plants, and others of its species? The room seemed to agree that isolating an animal from its natural environment could cause physical and psychological harm. But when Diehm asked whether the same logic applies to humans, the answer was less clear. We readily recognize the harm of social isolation, but do we give the same weight to being cut off from nature?
The discussion turned to what we lose when nature becomes less present in our lives. Diehm shared research linking time in nature to reduced brooding, as well as connections between our experience of nature and how we understand ourselves. Do we see ourselves as separate from the natural world, or as part of it? If we see ourselves as part of a larger community of living things, we may be more likely to value those things for their own sake, and not only for what they offer us.
The conversation eventually faced a practical problem: many people live in cities with limited access to green space. Could technology help fill the gap? The room considered examples ranging from nature-themed video games and virtual-reality walks to treadmills displaying natural landscapes, and the idea sparked discomfort among some of the audience. If nature is something we need, can a screen provide enough of it? Or does trying to recreate nature with technology miss the point entirely?
Next up: Lisa Lamson, “Why We Fight About History.” Wednesday, November 4, 5:00–6:30 PM, Fireside Room, Mauthe Center. Free and open to the public.
The Philosophers’ Café thanks the Mauthe Center for hosting the series and the Universities of Wisconsin Office of Civic Engagement for its financial support.
Chris also shared a short connection-to-nature survey from the talk. If you’d like to try it: https://www.psytoolkit.org/c/3.6.8/survey?s=Cu6AJ
