Perception of the Environment and the Traces of Today's Nature Devastation in Amerigo Vespucci's Letters

The data of this research consisted of nine letters written by Amerigo Vespucci. This study aimed to analyze Amerigo Vespucci's letters from an environmental perspective, and thus shed new light on today's nature devastation. These letters were analyzed with the goal of discovering whether Vespucci was an ecocentric traveler who admired and respected nature, or an anthropocentric invader who intended to plunder natural resources to trade. The analyses of Vespucci's letters show that he had an anthropocentric point of view rather than an ecocentric one. His letters prove that he intended to exploit natural resources to establish new trade routes. He discovered the American land with the help of winds and celestial navigation. The contradiction between the appreciation of nature and the destruction of nature in his letters reflected his admiration not only for all living creatures such as birds, plants, and trees --with the exception of the indigenous natives-- but also for inanimate natural resources such as gold, diamonds, and water found in the New World. All were provided by nature in conjunction with the Old World's willingness to consume and trade these to create nourishments, medicines, clothes, accessories, and tools. Vespucci, who was a merchant traveler, may be regarded as an invader due to his views that preceded the mechanistic model approaches of Descartes and Bacon. Unfortunately, many species of animals and plants have become extinct because of their transportation from their original continents and their consumption in new lands.

This book is the English version of the Ph.D. dissertation of Fazila Derya Agis.