What's ontology got to do with it? On the knowledge of nature and the nature of knowledge in environmental anthropology

Sullivan, S (2026) 'What's ontology got to do with it? On the knowledge of nature and the nature of knowledge in environmental anthropology.' In: Shoreman-Ouimet, E, Fredlund, J and Kopnina, H, eds. Routledge handbook of environmental anthropology. 2nd ed. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 97-110. ISBN 9781032745619

Abstract

Ontology as a form of enquiry asks questions regarding the nature of being, so as to make assertions regarding the nature of reality and how this can legitimately be known. Ontology denotes what entities may exist, into what categories they can be sorted, and by what practices and methods they can be known (i.e., epistemology). A cross-cultural perspective affirms that cultural and historical differences create the possibility for plural ontologies as ways of knowing the world. It suggests the parallel existence of different ways of understanding how reality is constructed, how the world and its entities can be known, and what constitutes appropriate ethical praxis in relation to these entities. This chapter engages with these differences of perspective, focusing on primal time and the cultural kinship of beings, agencies beyond-the-human, reciprocity and the moral economy of sharing, and knowing “beyond-human-natures” through “technologies of enchantment.”

Item Type:	Book Chapter or Section
Divisions:	Chancelry and Research Management
Related URLs:	https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Hand...
Date Deposited:	25 Mar 2026 15:19
Last Modified:	24 Sep 2026 14:11
URN:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/17659

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