David Abram
David Abram | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1957 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Philosopher, ecologist, author |
| Known for | Blending phenomenology with ecological concerns; author of "Becoming Animal" and "The Spell of the Sensuous" |
| Notable work | The Spell of the Sensuous, Becoming Animal |
David Abram is an American philosopher and ecologist recognized for blending phenomenological perspectives with environmental and ecological concerns. He is the author of Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology (2010) and The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-than-Human World (1996), the latter of which earned him the Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction. Abram established and leads the Alliance for Wild Ethics (AWE); his ecological essays have been published in various journals including Emergence, Orion, and Environmental Ethics.
In 1996, Abram coined the term "the more-than-human world" to characterize the natural environment, a phrase that has since become fundamental in ecological discussions and widely embraced by academics, theorists, and environmental advocates. More recently, he has also described this idea as "the commonwealth of breath."
Abram has been instrumental in revitalizing the concept of "animism" as a sophisticated worldview that links human consciousness with the sentience found in animals and plants, highlighting our interconnectedness with ecosystems and indigenous ecological wisdom. His contributions resonate with the "new animism" and "New Materialism" movements, promoting a revised comprehension of matter and material existence.
He holds the position of senior visiting scholar in ecology and natural philosophy at Harvard Divinity School.
Life and early influences
Raised in a suburb of New York City, Abram developed an early interest in perception through practicing sleight-of-hand magic during his high school years in Baldwin, Long Island. In 1976, while attending Wesleyan University, he served as the "house magician" at Alice's Restaurant in Massachusetts and performed throughout New England. After completing his sophomore year, he paused his studies to travel as a street magician across Europe and the Middle East; during a stay in London, he investigated the potential application of sleight-of-hand techniques to psychotherapy under the guidance of R. D. Laing. Graduating summa cum laude from Wesleyan in 1980, Abram embarked on journeys through Southeast Asia, learning from indigenous magic practitioners in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Nepal. Upon returning to North America, he balanced performance with studies of natural history and ethnoecology among Native American communities in the Southwest Desert and Pacific Northwest. His 1984 essay "The Perceptual Implications of Gaia," composed while at the Yale School of Forestry, connected him with scientists involved in developing the Gaia Hypothesis. He shared lecture platforms with biologist Lynn Margulis and geochemist James Lovelock across Britain and the United States. During the late 1980s, Abram concentrated on exploring how language shapes human sensory experience of place, culminating in earning a doctorate from Stony Brook University in 1993.
Abram’s writings are informed by his engagements with indigenous cultures across Indonesia, Nepal, and the Americas as well as by the American nature-writing tradition exemplified by Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Mary Austin. His philosophical outlook is deeply influenced by European phenomenology, particularly through French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Additional inspirations include archetypal psychologist James Hillman, evolutionary biologist Lynn Margulis, social critic Ivan Illich, poet Gary Snyder, and agrarian author Wendell Berry.
The more-than-human world
During the mid-1990s, Abram introduced the term "the more-than-human world" to challenge the conceptual separation between humanity and nature suggested by words such as "environment" and "nature." This expression refers to the expansive domain of life on Earth that encompasses human culture but extends well beyond it, underscoring that human culture constitutes only a portion within a broader ecological framework. First presented in his 1996 publication The Spell of the Sensuous (bearing the subtitle Perception and Language in a More-than-Human World), the concept quickly resonated with scholars and activists, becoming a foundational idea in ecological discussions.
The Spell of the Sensuous served as a catalyst for emerging fields including ecopsychology, ecophenomenology, and ecolinguistics. The book has been rendered into numerous languages, with the initial French translation completed by philosopher Isabelle Stengers in 2013.
Further work
Since 1996, Abram has traveled internationally to deliver lectures while maintaining independence from conventional academic institutions. He was named among 100 visionaries reshaping the world by Utne Reader and featured in Visionaries: The 20th Century's 100 Most Inspirational Leaders. His concepts have generated discourse in publications such as Environmental Ethics, Environmental Values, and the Journal of Environmental Philosophy. In 2001, he participated in a public dialogue on science and ethics alongside biologist E. O. Wilson, which resulted in his essay titled "Earth in Eclipse." In 2005, he was invited to present a keynote address at the United Nations World Environment Week, addressing mayors from prominent cities worldwide.
In 2006, Abram co-established the nonprofit organization Alliance for Wild Ethics (AWE), where he holds the position of Creative Director. AWE’s mission is to foster cultural transformation through the integration of arts and natural sciences, aiming to counteract ecological destruction by reestablishing connections between communities and their local bioregions.
Abram’s 2010 work Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology earned recognition as runner-up for the PEN Edward O. Wilson Award for Literary Science Writing and was shortlisted for the 2011 Orion Book Award. The book was acclaimed for its poetic language and profound incorporation of Indigenous wisdom, emphasizing that mutual relationships with nonhuman intelligences are crucial for planetary sustainability.
In 2014, Abram occupied the Arne Næss Chair of Global Justice and Ecology at the University of Oslo and became a distinguished fellow at Schumacher College, where he regularly conducts courses. For the academic year 2022–2023, he serves as senior visiting scholar specializing in ecology and natural philosophy at Harvard University's Center for the Study of World Religions. Additionally, he leads an intensive annual program on Cortes Island, British Columbia. Abram lives with his family in the foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains.
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