St. John’s Summer Academy (Santa Fe): Wisdom and Wilderness

What is wilderness? The American West tells its own story, and over the course of a week in Santa Fe, students will encounter authors of nature and wilderness, as well as investigate the rich landscape right outside their doors. Authors include Wordsworth, Maclean, Thoreau, Twain, Cather, and Goethe. We will ask such questions as: What is the relationship between civilization and nature? Is the human being a part of or apart from nature? How do we sensuously and temporally experience our environment? What does wilderness mean historically in America and to American identity? Why do we care about conservation? Is it possible to conserve the wild?