“It’s the end of the world every day, for someone.”– Margaret Atwood
As the bustle of our workday fades, we invite you to leave behind the noise and join us in the serene embrace of the St Andrews Botanic Garden. We delve into stories and reflections that challenge our understanding of the world as we know it. Together, we’ll consider themes of ecological collapse, transformation, and the ways in which we might engage with these monumental shifts.
James Bridle Ways of Being (excerpt)
What does it mean to be intelligent? Is it something unique to humans - or do we share it with other beings?
Recent years have seen rapid advances in 'artificial' intelligence, which increasingly appears to be something stranger than we ever imagined. At the same time, we are becoming more aware of the other intelligences which have been with us all along, unrecognized. These other beings are the animals, plants, and natural systems that surround us, and are slowly revealing their complexity and knowledge - just as the new technologies we've built are threatening to cause their extinction, and ours.
In Ways of Being, writer and artist James Bridle considers the fascinating, uncanny and multiple ways of existing on earth. What can we learn from these other forms of intelligence and personhood, and how can we change our societies to live more equitably with one another and the non-human world? From Greek oracles to octopuses, forests to satellites, Bridle tells a radical new story about ecology, technology and intelligence. We must, they argue, expand our definition of these terms to build a meaningful and free relationship with the non-human, one based on solidarity and cognitive diversity. We have so much to learn, and many worlds to gain.
Themes: Non-Human Intelligence and Ecological Thought, Ecological Interconnectedness, Human-Nature Dynamics and Hierarchies, Technology and Nature, Environmental Crisis, Ethics of Knowledge, More-than-Human Consciousness
Buy book here.
About the Reading Group
In this reading group, we’ll journey through both fiction and non-fiction, where we’ll unearth narratives that encourage us to question, reflect, and reimagine what might come after the end. In shared conversation, we’ll ask what it means to live through moments of profound change, and how literature can equip us to witness and engage with these shifts.
Whether you are a seasoned reader of ecocritical literature, or someone simply interested in the intersection of the written word and the natural world, this group encourages diverse perspectives. We’ll be reading the chosen texts beforehand, and coming together to discuss them in a relaxed, open-minded atmosphere.
No matter your familiarity with the material, we encourage everyone to share their thoughts, and questions as we explore the themes together. As we go along, we’ll adapt our discussions to the group’s interests and pace, allowing room for both joint exploration and personal reflection.
Essential Information:
Minimum age 18. Please bring your own reading/writing materials.
The entrance fee covers access to the garden, as well as tea, coffee, shortbread, and water. Free RSVP for those with exisiting admission tickets for this date, students and Friends Members.
As this is an out of hours event, please meet at the main gate to the Garden at 6pm. If you are running late, please notify Anne Daffertshofer via adaffertshoferstandrewsbotanic.org (Subject line: late/book club).
