The modern discourse versus “pachamamismo”: The metaphor of nature as resource and of Earth as mother

Abstract

The aim of this article is to contribute in a modestly way, to the recently emerged debate between the modern discourse and “pachamamismo “. By “pachamamismo” we refer to the discourse promoted by some Latin American social movements, which, inspired by some rationalities of rural communities, make a radical critique of the way modern truth regimes are trying to correct the suicidal trend that contemporary civilization has undertaken. Specifically, is addressed the metaphorical ability of language – i.e., the property that words have to “create perception” in a particular mode– bringing up a brief interpretation of two metaphors: “natural resource” and “Mother earth”. The proposal consists in that, by deriving a whole network of metaphors from the concept Pachamama, the utilitarian and anthropocentric expression “natural resources”, be replaced by that of “natural subjects”.