Lucretius Against Human Exceptionalism

Abstract

This dissertation explores the ways that human beings are represented as unique but continuous with the rest of living beings in Lucretius’ De rerum natura. I argue that Lucretius advocates for a “minimalist humanism” as part of his Epicurean ethics and natural philosophy. Methodologically, my dissertation presents philological and philosophical readings of Lucretius alongside questions and concerns arising from the environmental humanities. The chapters are: “Iphigenia and the Calf,” “Lucretius’ Dark Ecology,” “The Animal Contract,” “Garden and Empire,” and “The Animal Revolt.” This dissertation presents close reading of the Kulturentstehung, or “culture story” as it is called in English language scholarship, from Book Five of De rerum natura, employing paradigms from animal studies and ecocriticism, but also using Lucretius’ non-modern way of thinking about animals to critique assumptions about animals and ecology in the environmental humanities.