Wilderness and the American Mind

“One man’s wilderness may be another’s roadside picnic ground. The Yukon trapper would consider a trip to northern Minnesota a return to civilization while for the vacationer from Chicago it is a wilderness adventure indeed.”

In this juxtaposition of ideas, Nash demonstrates how wilderness as a concept can differ depending on one’s vantage point. In addition, it hints at the difficulty in finding a universal definition for wilderness.

“The value system of primitive man was structured in terms of survival. He appreciated what contributed to his well-being and feared what he did not control or understand.”

Nash presents a basic evolutionary explanation for why humans came to view wilderness as a threat. The legacy of this thinking existed well into the founding of the US.

“Wilderness had no place in the paradise myth.”

Nash is referring to the Garden of Eden story from Genesis in the Old Testament. Wilderness, because of the uncertainty it contained and the apparent chaos it represented, contrasted with the vision of a garden that sheltered and protected humanity.