Overview
The essay critiques the pastoralization of sexuality and engages with Charles Darwin's contributions to discussions surrounding sexuality and environmental studies. The authors, Jean-Thomas Tremblay and Jules Gill-Peterson, explore various dynamics connecting sex and nature through Darwinian frameworks.
Authors: Jean-Thomas Tremblay and Jules Gill-Peterson
Publication: Regeneration: Environment, Art, Culture, 2024
Key Themes
Pastoralism vs. Anti-Pastoralism
Pastoralization tends to romanticize the connection between sex and the natural world, often portraying an idyllic and harmonious relationship.
Anti-pastoralism, aiming to critique this romantic view, may still rely on moralizing aesthetics that can limit the complexity of the relationship between human sexuality and nature.
The authors propose depastoralization as a methodological approach to celebrate the serendipitous and non-ideal qualities of nature, rejecting simplistic narratives.
Emancipation Through Darwin
Scholars such as Sam See and Elizabeth Grosz have articulated views that position Darwin as a pivotal figure for rethinking contemporary understandings of sexuality.
They encourage embracing nature's vast infinite variations, advocating for a departure from outdated biological normativity that strictly defines gender and sexuality.
However, the essay warns that their interpretations may still embody a pastoralizing tendency, which risks oversimplifying Darwin’s nuanced insights regarding biological diversity and variability.
Darwin's Nature
Accidental Quality of Nature and Sex
Darwin’s perspective elucidates the randomness and inherent variability present in both nature and sexual expression.
The essay challenges interpretations that seek to derive moral or aesthetic lessons from Darwinian expressions of sex and gender, emphasizing his nonessentialist viewpoint. Nature and sexuality continually evolve and should not be confined to static definitions.
Aesthetic and Biological Intersections
Sexual selection introduces motivations of attraction that go beyond mere survival and reproduction, suggesting an intricate interplay between aesthetics and sexuality.
The notion of taste is significant for understanding how sexual selection operates and its broader implications in the realm of nature.
Critique of Pastoralization
Gender and Sexuality
The essay scrutinizes contemporary interpretations that oversimplify the complex intersections illustrated in Darwin's works concerning gender.
It critiques See's suggestion that sexual and racial categories are interchangeable, labeling this perspective as an oversimplification that fails to account for the intricacies of both concepts.
Grosz's exploration of sexual difference is analyzed, highlighting the complexities that exist beyond simplistic binary oppositions.
Eugenics and Political Uses of Darwinism
The authors discuss how pastoral interpretations of Darwin have been co-opted into ideologies of control, notably in historical contexts such as Nazism.
The essay investigates the aesthetic criteria underpinning eugenic philosophies compared to Darwin's concepts of natural selection, drawing attention to the ethical implications.
The Risks and Consequences of Moralizing Narratives
Pastoral narratives are highlighted as potentially invoking moral standards that may unintentionally marginalize or suppress queer identities. This aspect reveals a dangerous parallel to historical eugenics movements, founded on claims of purity.
There are modern manifestations of backlash against non-normative sexualities that echo these historical patterns, emphasizing the need for awareness and inclusivity.
Opposing Naturalization of Ethics
The authors argue against the tendency to view sex and nature as inherently moral categories, advocating for a perspective that accepts these concepts as more fluid and less deterministic.
They highlight that existing ethical frameworks often stem from a misinterpreted and oversimplified understanding of Darwin, calling for a reevaluation of these connections.
Conclusion
Towards a Depastoralized Understanding
The essay proposes cultivating a new perspective on Darwin that breaks away from moral imperatives or predictable outcomes, seeking a more nuanced understanding of natural and sexual diversity.
By celebrating the unpredictability and accidentality intrinsic to sexuality and nature, the authors advocate for enriching discussions that embrace diversity in both human and non-human realms without being confined to normative standards.
