Making Connectivities:Neuroanthropology and Ecological Ethics

As the human brain is the organ of cognition and behavior it is important to understand environmental ethics and conservationism in relation to neuroanthropology which examines the tie between brain and culture. While this field shows great promise it needs more theoretical investigation. In this paper I will examine ecological ethics in relation to Merleau-Ponty’s idea of the ‘Visible and the Invisible’. I will argue that humans need to create connectivities with the natural world. In the later section I will propose that environmental ethics may be informed by the cognisized environment – processes of mind which are immanent in nature in a Batesonian sense.