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Aeon ·For the curious

Can Ecosystems Malfunction?

by John Drake

Published 2026-05-25 10:00:00+00:00

How did we start thinking of ecosystems as having jobs they can fail at?

0:00 / 39:34 · Narrator Charon

Context

This essay asks us to really consider what we mean when we say an ecosystem is "malfunctioning" or "failing." Are we truly describing an objective biological state, or are we, perhaps unconsciously, projecting our own human values and desired outcomes onto nature? It’s a fascinating look at the language we use to frame environmental crises, inviting us to untangle that conceptual knot and think more clearly about our responsibilities to the natural world.

Show notes

A critical examination of the concept of ecosystem malfunction argues that natural systems lack intrinsic goals or purposes. The essay traces how the idea of ecological function emerged from applying biological and engineering metaphors, often implicitly embedding anthropocentric values. It advocates for an ecology that explicitly acknowledges human values and responsibilities in environmental discourse.

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