The trees of the West

This chapter explores the relationship between the trees of the American West and the concept of love as explored through various figures in the philosophy of time—most notably, F.W.J. Schelling and Henri Bergson. Given the exceptionally long lifespans of trees and their ability to flourish in severe, inhospitable climates, one could make the case that trees are nature’s masters of time. This is especially true in the case of the West, which is home to some of the oldest and largest living organisms on the planet. Trees have much to teach us about what it means to live in balance with the natural order of things. However, what we encounter in the writings of naturalists like Henry David Thoreau and John Muir is an abiding sense that the one who understands trees best is the one who recognizes that their value has less to do with what we glean from them and more with what they inspire us to do, which is to love. The chapter introduces the preceding thesis through an exploration of Thoreau’s and Muir’s essays and concludes with some remarks which join their naturalism with Bergson’s understanding of love as oriented toward a new future.