Philosophy Professor Meilinn Chinn awarded for research into traditional systems of environmental ethics undergoing contemporary revivals
Traditional design techniques that consider water and wind will get a deeper look thanks to a Hackworth grant from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics to philosophy Professor Meilin Chinn.
Chinn is researching feng shui and ahupuaʻa, traditional design techniques from China and Hawaii, respectively, that use water and wind to guide land management and human dwellings.
Traditionally used in Chinese communities, feng shui (literally “winds and waters”) emphasizes place-based relationships and unity by studying the flow of energy in nature.
Similarly, Hawaii’s ahupuaʻa subdivides land and stewards resources based on the land’s traits and its people. Hawaiian government officials are restoring traditional boundaries using the 11 traditional subdivisions that once made up the island of O’ahu.
“I see powerful possibilities within the traditions of feng shui and ahupuaʻa to address contemporary environmental problems,” Chinn says. “I also want to help bring greater awareness of the political significance of the ahupuaʻa restoration in its connections to the contemporary Hawaiian sovereignty movement.”
