earticle

영어

This paper aims at analyzing John Steinbeck’s ecological view of biological world, which he draws all of his ideas from Ed Rickets, the marine biologist, and at finding a reality of the essential ecology. They glean from their experiences in the tide pools of the Sea of Cortez, and then extend their horizons to a full scheme of being that means holistic world-view. As they have some striking similarities and differences in their ideas concerning the concrete methods of life, the exact approach of their world view can help grasp the contemporary ecological point, and simultaneously set its desirable course.They regard the doctrine of non-teleological thinking as a coherent method by which man can perceive the cosmos as an integrated whole. But Ricketts emphasizes non-teleological quest for the deep thing, a highly complex philosophy of breaking through as the means by which he seek to go home. Ricketts defines breaking through as an inner coherency of feeling and thought which leads man into a deep thing, and makes him connect apparently unrelated pictures, and see that the whole is more than the sum of its parts.Unlike Ricketts, Steinbeck observes that man is not a creature of an unknowable pattern of existence, but potentially all things. Although Ricketts ignores the more mundane problems of existence which enslave most men and limit their vision by viewing the everyday world with understanding-acceptance. Accepting the worldly problems of life, Steinbeck believes that man is not a heaven-bound pilgrim, but a creature of earth. Rather Seinbeck attacks Rickets’ passivity, moving beyond his point of instant-acceptance and trying to deal effectively with the burdensome problems of human existence. Believing that the universe is an evolving rhythmic unity, Steinbeck shares a feeling of organic wholeness. Accordingly, as Steinbeck's ecological view contains practical meanings, I think a deep approach of his thoughts contributes to take shape the contemporary abstract ecological analysis that lacks a concrete method. Because his biological world view accepting potentially complex things related to problems of life reflects on the original cosmos as an integrated whole.