Towards a realistic constructivism. From nature to the environment

Abstract

The relationship between society and nature has an outstanding importance in the fields of environmental philosophy and sociology. It is dominated by the opposition between realism and constructivism, i.e.: between those who argue that nature is an entity independent of society and those who respond that nature is a social construction. Such conflict is usually solved accepting that nature exists but our knowledge of it can only be socially mediated. However, a new version of constructivism is to be defended, one which pays enough attention to the material dimension of society-nature’s interaction. Society has always intervened upon nature and the final outcome of such historical process is but the transformation of nature into human environment. A realistic constructivism allows us to highlight that decisive feature of socio-natural interaction.