Human Being Ecology in Richard Powers’ Generosity

Abstract

Richard Powers is one of American famous contemporary writers, a rising star of American postmodernist fiction, and one of leading representatives of the Generation Xers as well. He explores the impacts of some factors such as ecological environment, social culture, and family ethics on our modern society by use of his abundant knowledge about gene engineer, neurology, family ethics, etc. He explores the relationships between human and nature, human and society, human and human. Generosity, fusing science with literature perfectly, is one of prominent information fictions by Richard Powers, which narrate a fascinating thoughtful story about the secret of happiness. From the perspective of ecological philosophy, this article explores human being ecology embodied in this fiction, which thinks that the earth is an ecosphere, also a largest ecosystem in which human being, just a part of it, is a small ecosystem and runs according to natural law. Ecological human being had his own ecology including physical property, social property and understanding and attitudes towards nature. Excessive human activity, especially the abuse of science and technology will result in destructive impact on human being ecology，bring about serious effect on normal running and harmonious evolvement of ecosystem containing human being and nature, and it must be faced squarely and solved urgently.