Page 1 of 22

255

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 3

Publication Date: March 25, 2021

DOI:10.14738/assrj.83.9854.

Karam, S. (2021). Ameen F. Rihani's 'Biophilic Masculinity' in The Heart of Lebanon and The Rihani Essays. Advances in Social Sciences

Research Journal, 8(3) 255-276.

Ameen F. Rihani's 'Biophilic Masculinity' in The Heart of

Lebanon and The Rihani Essays

Dr. Savo Karam

"man was a part of nature, not nature a part of man... so that the merely human was

swallowed in the natural." (Joseph Krutch)

"in Wilderness is the preservation of the World" (Thoreau, 1817-1862)

ABSTRACT

Now that we have reached the third millennium, an era associated with

the onslaught of modernity, technology, industrialization and

urbanization, it is time for our relationship with nature to undergo an

ecological evolution through which a conservationist masculinity can

develop. In this respect, it is particularly essential that literature

provide a genuine modernized perspective, a biocentric understanding

oriented towards a biophilic attachment to nature that centers on the

affirmation of universal kinship based on the connection to all organic

life. The cornerstone of the biophilia notion is a balanced man-nature

relationship which is still undervalued in the realm of green literature.

In this perspective, it is worth highlighting Ameen Fares Rihani’s

edifying contribution to the realm of deep ecology. The works of this

Lebanese-American writer and thinker have not been given sufficient

attention when his prosaic oeuvre effectively reflects man’s regrettable

alienation from the natural environment. In a sense, Rihani’s prose

with its biophilic inclination is a crucial addition to the body of works

concerned with restoring the gap between nature and mankind. This

paper, therefore, attempts to study Rihani's approach to living nature

from the perspective of evolutionary biology by shedding light on an

unexplored aspect, namely his essentially biophilic conviction evident

in his landmark book Qualb Lubnan (The Heart of Lebanon) and in Ar- Rihaniyyaat (The Rihani Essays). These works will be analyzed from a

literary ecocritical perspective and against ecological masculinity

which is the most recent interpretive paradigm of ecocriticism. This

reading will also profess that Rihani's intention is to ecologize modern

masculinity, Eastern and/or Western masculine thought, through re- designing an alternative future, a deep green future founded upon the

biophilia hypothesis.

Key words: biophilia, ecocriticism, ecological masculinity, Arab-American

masculinity, Rihani

INTRODUCTION

The treatment of nonhuman nature is worth examining when it comes to a nature lover and an

environmental activist such as Rihani. As a matter of fact, literary criticism dealing with this Arab-

Page 2 of 22

256

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 3, March-2021

American's work has often ignored the extent to which such writer was interested in supporting

and preserving nature. Ecology, in general, had a great impact on him; the genre of nature writing

that belongs to Rihani falls under the scope of green/eco-literature as it lays emphasis on

ecological matters. His nature writing portrays an ecological masculinity, and it is endowed with

an environmental philosophy that entails a deeper attachment to earth.

Being biophilic by nature allows Rihani's environmental and ecocritical philosophy to respond to

the needs of an eco-friendly future. His work insinuates at the future development of an ecological

awareness as he writes in hope that, with time, humans will mentally develop or come to realize

that the essence and value of existence lies within the parameters of deep ecology. Gifted with

modernized, postmodern thoughts and an ecological passion towards nature, Rihani’s biophilic

views shed light on romantic realism rather than on romantic idealism.

In 1984, the American naturalist and biologist Edward Osborne Wilson proposed and popularized

the biophilia hypothesis in his booklet titled Biophilia, claiming that, as the aftermath of human

evolution in the biosphere, humans have an instinctive connection with life forms in the natural

world, and this is indispensable to their well-being. The biophilia hypothesis is defined by Wilson

as a biological/human, evolution-based "innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes" (1)

and as an inborn "urge to affiliate with other forms of life" (85). Such an evolutionary philosophy

asserts that humans are inherently and genetically inclined to maintain a close contact with the

natural environment.

Around seventy years prior to the recognition of Wilson's biophilic philosophy, Rihani envisioned

and transmitted his transcendental message of biophilic inclinations with nature, pointing to the

importance of maintaining an interconnectedness with the diverse natural environment for the

purpose of guaranteeing survival. Furthermore, he suggested that this urge is intrinsic in man's

psychology. For Wilson as well as Rihani, an understanding of the significance of the inanimate

alienated other allows man to foster a deeper relationship with nature. This is based on the

condition that humans fathom the necessity of coexisting with other natural creations and

organisms; otherwise, humanity will suffer gravely. In the new science of ecology, specifically

biophilia, where all living things are interconnected, Rihani finds a fertile ground for his green

vision. As an environmentalist, ecologist and naturalist, he presents to readers the wholeness of

the living planet and allows them to understand their responsibility toward the green future of the

earth. It is only when this is achieved that the ecologist and the writer merge into one personality.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Literary criticism dealing with Rihani’s work has ignored the extent to which the writer was

interested in preserving and affiliating with nature. Walter Edward Dunnavent III in "Rihani,

Emerson and Thoreau" explores the impact of American Transcendentalism on Rihani's The Book

of Khalid, but he recognizes neither Rihani's nor Thoreau's profound affinity with the ecosystem

although the biophilia hypothesis is evident in Thoreau's Walden. As to Mona Dasouki's Ameen

Rihani's Evolution and Reform, it provides a detailed study of Rihani's philosophy pertaining to

evolution but fails to detect Wilson's evolutionary hypothesis.

This study focuses on two of Rihani's translated Arabic books, Qualb Lubnan (The Heart of

Lebanon) and Ar-Rihaniyyaat (The Rihani Essays), that convey the writer's deep ecological

Page 3 of 22

Karam, S. (2021). Ameen F. Rihani's 'Biophilic Masculinity' in The Heart of Lebanon and The Rihani Essays. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,

8(3) 255-276.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.83.9854 257

reflection on the status of man and nature. Mainly, these two texts fall within the scope of the

biophilia theory since this Arab-American intellectual, through his engagement with living earth,

anticipates and demonstrates Wilson's biophilic conviction that being inclined towards nature is

genetically predestined.

The Rihani Essays is a collection of essays, lectures and speeches that includes the writer's literary,

philosophical and social views. As to The Heart of Lebanon, it is a travelogue reflecting Lebanese

nature, written after Rihani left America. At the very start of this book, he informs his readers that

following his immigration to America, where he spent a major part of his life and felt enchained to

a highly industrial world, he returned to Lebanon in 1907 to rediscover the splendor of the

environment he genuinely belongs to– an environment invested with spiritual wealth rather than

monetary yield. He goes on to embark on nine journeys into the Lebanese rural areas, exploring

the Lebanese ecosystem. For Rihani, the wilderness is not used for recreation but for a

reconnection with one's original roots. Going on a journey back in time, to his roots, he

experiences a spiritual encounter with the origin of life and attempts to understand himself as

well as the place of mankind in the natural surroundings.

According to Wilson, the ecological relation between man and the other-than-human world is so

visible that it is explicitly revealed in the ecosystem and that needs to be considered seriously:

"The biophilic tendency is nevertheless so clearly evinced in daily life and wildly distributed as to

deserve serious attention" (85). Has not modernity disconnected us from other elements of

nature? Is not nature powerful enough to cross the boundaries of humanity and permeate it? Once

people are able to see beyond or transcend the living world, they can easily decipher the bond

between them and nature, and only then will their existence be meaningful and their survival

everlasting: "the binding force lies in our biology and in our relationship to other organisms"

(Wilson 63). Having an affiliation with the living world ensures our biological stability. This being

the case, humans should not be egocentric by depleting natural resources but should be ecocentric

to maintain a flawless balance in the ecosystem and sustain a coherent, organized and systematic

kinship network. Rihani cautions that any ecological imbalance will lead to an overall annihilation

if man refuses to bond with all life forms. In this respect, Wilson's conviction that from the scope

of "ecological and then evolutionary change... biography and political events become cyclical and

shrink steadily in proportion" (144) is similar to Rihani's because of his dissatisfaction with the

industrial oppression of the natural world. It pains Rihani to notice that humans conquered and

manipulated nature "for profit and riches" (HL 138). Uninterested in wealth accumulation and

material gain at the expense of the natural world, he expresses a far-seeing cognizance of the all- embracing bio-network that yokes all the manifestations of organic life. Deconstructing traditional

masculinity, Rihani's ecological masculinity identifies with the environment instead of controlling

it, thereby launching a harmonious relationship with the cosmos.

METHODOLOGY

Biophilia falls under the scope of masculinities discourse. Since ecological masculinity is a new

discourse, the relationship between nature and masculinity is not given adequate consideration in

literature. Nature is a pivotal reference and fundamental dimension in creating a masculine

identity. Traditional Western masculinity is patriarchal and hegemonic as it demonstrates how

man, being aggressive, oppressive and menacing, uses his power to conquer, control and

subjugate nature; thus, masculinist notions have a hand in environmental demolition. Masculinity

Page 4 of 22

258

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 3, March-2021

can, however, wear multiple masks; it proves to be a dynamic concept undergoing modification

with time and embracing an unabusive attitude towards the planet.

The relationship with the natural world is gendered as there are male and female connections

with nonhuman nature. Eco-masculinity is a critical and philosophical concept that helps fathom

the associations between man and nature, more specifically between gendered and

environmentally committed or pro-environmental behavior. While ecofeminism seems ecological,

traditional maleness or masculinity is used to be rendered anti-ecological. In literature,

representations of masculinity can be either positive or negative, depending on how a male artist

responds to the ecosystem in his writings. Thus, masculine engagement with the natural

environment can be constructive or destructive, so each form of masculinity influences nature

differently.

Man's inner nature or instinctive force that Theodore Roszak names as an "ecological id" urges

man to re-assess "certain compulsively 'masculine' character traits that permeate our structures

of political power and which drive us to dominate nature as if it were an alien and rightless realm"

(320). Ecological senselessness that calls forth the subjugation of the nonhuman other and in turn

leads to an ecological loss of connectedness with nature is undoubtedly a masculine archetype and

perspective. As will later be established, both Wilson and Rihani reveal that when the natural

surrounding is negatively transformed by a masculine perspective, the aftermath is catastrophic

since the destiny of man and nature are intimately interweaved. However, stereotypically

feminine traits, such as caring for nature and being environmentally friendly, comprise a peaceful

and nurturing conservationist femininity that is environmentally constructive. According to Paul

Pulé, "Ecological masculinism instigates a new conversation in ecophilosophy that stands parallel

to ecological feminism and is intended to help move humanity towards a post-gendered approach

to our interactions with each other and the environment" (1). Therefore, a conservationist

masculinity, inspired by ecofeminism, is required in order to put an end to man's antipathy and

malevolence towards nature. An eco-masculine temperament is one that is neither abusive,

oppressive nor exploitative with nature.

The ecologist Martin Hultman exposes different guises of masculinities in the environmental field:

industrial/hegemonic, eco-modern and ecological masculinities. He links such tyrannizing

attitudes towards nature to "hegemonic masculinity" or "Industrial masculinity" which he defines

as "a figuration that evaluates nature as dead, man as the chosen dominator, and engineering as

the method of creating wealth for all humans" (241). In other words, those who practice industrial

masculinity have a patriarchal interest in taking advantage of earth's fragility as it is considered an

objectified dead entity, a commodity to be conquered and utilized.

While hostile to industrial masculinity, Rihani adopts and enacts an eco-masculine identity that

does not subjugate nature. Eco-masculinity is effectively less hostile to nature or counter to

hegemonic or industrial masculinity. Hultman affirms that it shows "a different kind of

possibility... in our times of much needed ideas of how to find paths to a livable earth," so "living

with nature" (249) and "interconnectedness with the earth" (245) comprise a typical presentation

or performance of ecological masculinity. In a practical sense, eco-masculinity entails intrinsically

valuing and respecting all forms of life by being concerned about the environment, attempting to

preserve it and trying to live in harmony with it by upholding a symbiotic connectedness with the