Is a River Alive?

In Is a River Alive?, the central tension between perceiving rivers as resources versus recognizing them as living beings reveals the fundamental philosophical divide that shapes contemporary water crises. Through historical analysis, linguistic examination, and legal case studies, Macfarlane demonstrates that the systematic reduction of rivers to mere resources has enabled their widespread degradation, while alternative frameworks that recognize rivers as living entities offer pathways toward restoration and protection. This dichotomy represents not merely different approaches to water management, but entirely distinct worldviews that determine humanity’s relationship with the more-than-human world.

The historical progression documented in Macfarlane’s prologue illustrates how rivers transformed from sacred entities into industrial resources through successive civilizations. Ancient peoples understood springs as divine presences. This reverence positioned water as an autonomous force deserving of worship and respect, fundamentally different from contemporary approaches that view water primarily through utilitarian frameworks. The shift accelerated during the Reformation. By the modern era, this transformation reached its logical conclusion with water companies installing artificial pumping systems. This historical trajectory demonstrates how the systematic desacralization of water enabled its commodification and subsequent degradation.

Macfarlane’s linguistic analysis reveals how language both reflects and reinforces the conceptual framework that reduces rivers to resources rather than recognizing them as living beings.