The evolution of the concept of wilderness in America

This paper presents some of the critical stages in the evolution of the concept of wilderness in American thought and its revisions. First, it shows the transformation of the idea of wilderness in American culture from something to be feared, to something to be conquered, to something to be cherished by modern environmentalism and demonstrates how nature discourse may perpetuate dualistic relations with wilderness. Than it analyzes some criticisms and responses to the traditional idea of wilderness known as the great new wilderness debate and attempts to put the concept of wilderness not only into American but also a more global perspective.