UNRAVELLING THE NOTIONS OF ECOLOGICAL PHILOSOPHY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LANGUAGE ECOLOGY IN LITERARY TEXT

Abstract

This study presents an Eco-philosophical analysis of The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad by taking into consideration Arne Naess’s Deep Ecology framework. Naess’s eco-philosophical model comprises of seven components; however, this research focuses on its four key principles, viz.  the rejection of the man-in-environment image, biospherical egalitarianism, the principles of biodiversity and symbiosis, and the fight against pollution and resource depletion.  Correspondingly, findings of the study demonstrate how Conrad depicts the intrinsic interconnectedness between humans and the natural environment, particularly through representations of the sea, the ship, and maritime life. Furthermore, the study highlights the psychological development of the protagonist, illustrating how interaction with nature contributes to personal-psychological growth, maturity and self-realization. Likewise, based on these findings, future research may explore The Shadow Line through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) with Ecocriticism or philosophy to further examine the ethical and moral interconnectedness between humans in order to probe their bidirectional causal relationships.