ABSTRACT
This chapter explores Carolyn Merchant’s work in the general field of environmental studies, in particular her groundbreaking contributions to ecofeminist theory, provided an enormously valuable complement to author's primary field in the history of science, creating an ideal context for the development of her own work on the history of systems thinking and its relevance as a framework for social change. The concept of the earth as a living being, generally conceived as female, was central to the organic worldview prior to the emergence of modern science. Merchant argues that the conception of nature as dead, inert matter, allowed for greater exploitation of the earth’s resources, ushering in the industrial revolution and the triumph of modern capitalism. The author primary goal in enrolling in the History of Science program was to explore the connection between new paradigms in science.
