ABSTRACT
Modern science is now taking the life of the soil seriously, especially as it pertains to microbiomes. The environmental humanities are following suit by trying to develop a fuller picture of human relationships to soil. However, this enterprise will eventually undercut itself if it doesn’t overtly challenge some of the assumptions of modern dualistic culture, its singular use of science as its valid epistemology, and the way that language unconsciously reinforces these assumptions. Building on the work of Patzel (2009), who discusses human relationships to both ‘inner soil’ and ‘outer soil’, this chapter proposes eco-psychology as a framework not only to highlight the problematic assumptions that inform many modern perspectives about soil (dualism, anthropocentrism and issues of epistemology), but also to provide an alternative way forward which includes simultaneously acknowledging soil on its own terms, encouraging human relationships with soil and understanding humans as soil. This chapter concludes by introducing three additional non-dualistic frameworks for consideration: eco-feminism, Buddhism and indigenous perspectives.
