ABSTRACT
The idea of a nature sport depends on the existence of nature. This chapter addresses arguments concerning the existence of nature given the extent of human activities and climate change, and arguments concerning the social construction of nature. In particular, it offers a response to positions presented by Steven Vogel in his book Thinking Like a Mall: Environmental Philosophy After the End of Nature, and to Eileen Crist’s article “Against the Social Construction of Nature and Wilderness.” Krein argues that, despite first appearances, there is no inconsistency in claiming that nature is influenced by human activities or that it is socially constructed, and that it is autonomous or independent. The position presented is in many ways similar to the classical constructionist positions of Immanuel Kant and Nelson Goodman. The chapter concludes with an argument that much of the attraction of nature sports such as surfing, climbing, and skiing stems from the opportunity to interact with natural features that have an independent existence, history, and presence.
