Year 10 - Religious education
Reflection: Is a river alive?
Personhood: what does it mean to be alive?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils will consider what it is that makes a person who they are by examining religious and philsophical explanations for self and conciousness. Next, they will examine the idea of sentience in animals before evauating whether non-human objects of nature, such as rivers, can be said to be alive.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to reflect on the idea of personhood for rivers and the difference this might make to their protection.
Key Notes
- The writer and academic Robert MacFarlane has written a book on the state of rivers around the world.
- He draws attention to the widespread destruction of rivers through exploitation and pollution.
- The rights of nature movement campaigns for rivers to be ascribed personhood and given rights to protection.
- These ideas are drawn from ancient indigenous worldviews and modern ideas of rights and protection.
- We can reflect on the state of rivers in the UK and their need for protection.
Vocabulary To Learn
- personhood: state or fact of being considered a person such as having awareness or conciousness
- rights of nature: legal and philosophical movement recognising rivers, forests etc. as rights-bearing entities, not just property
- indigenous: from a particular place or culture that lived prior to European colonisation
- guardian: someone who takes on the role of protecting an entity such as a river
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Giving a river legal rights would mean it is seen exactly the same as a human being.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
The writer and academic Robert MacFarlane has written a book on the state of rivers around the world. He draws attention to the widespread destruction of rivers through exploitation and pollution.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'personhood'
state or fact of being considered a person such as having awareness or conciousness.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Giving a river legal rights would mean it is seen exactly the same as a human being. Correction: The rights of nature movement wants to give rights to entities such as rivers and ecosystems. Their rights would be protected by humans acting as guardians on behalf of the entity.
More Lessons In This Unit
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