Did Nature Cease to Exist in the ’60s?

From the archives: Our historical snippet of the moment is a Canadian television fragment from 1968 featuring a debate between Norman Mailer and Marshall McLuhan on the implications of media technology and whether nature still existed.

The two heroes of the ’60s are absolute opposites. Leaning forward in his chair, Mailer is assertive, animated, hot, engaged. McLuhan, abstracted and smiling wanly, leaning backward, cool. Mcluhan argues “The planet is no longer nature,” he declares, to Mailer’s uncomprehending stare; “it’s now the content of an art work.” Mailer: “Well, I think you are anticipating a century, perhaps”.

Did Nature cease to exist in the ’60s? Of course not. It just changes along with us.

—

Via Next Nature

Photo Credits: Flickr CC Cookiemouse, a t r i u m and cliff1066™