What is nature? How do, and how should, humans contemplate and relate to the natural world? Is nature to be feared or loved, analyzed or enjoyed, dominated or unbound? What can we learn from the natural world? Is there value in nature? In what ways should we value the swamp and bayou, lakes and seas, the plants and animals, the bugs and stars, the deserts and forests, and the plains and mountains? Beginning with ancient figures such as Laozi and Aristotle, this course explores insightful reflections on the natural world and our place in it