If there is a beautiful stone, an amethyst, a granite boulder in the forest or a small round beach pebble, it would be a shame if it was broken. Stones also have value and for many reasons. Stones are beautiful and part of nature. Everything that is in nature should be appreciated and cherished, except for deadly viruses, etc. Everything else has its own place in nature as an important part of the ecosystem and also culture. Stones can also teach us spiritually to understand, for example, balance. Zen Buddhists pile up small piles of stones, known as “tsukiyama”. I have a fine stone collection at home, which includes amethysts, fossils and lava rocks.
It is clear that every human being has infinite, indestructible value, as do animals, because we are living, conscious, sentient beings who can rejoice and suffer, and who have interests. Plants are also valuable as living, independent beings, maintainers of life and important parts of the ecosystem.
If an artificial intelligence or robot were conscious and sentient, it should be given similar rights to humans. This is an ethical imperative. It should be treated well because it could suffer and would strive for happiness. The fact that it is made of metal and we are made of flesh and bone is, in the end, not a big difference: metal is as natural as bone. Both are natural materials. Nature is everywhere. Our thoughts travel as nerve signals, for a robot they would be electrical wires. This is of course only hypothetical: we do not know whether artificial intelligence could ever be conscious. It could be theoretically possible if for some reason the different sub-parts of a complex technical system began to communicate independently. The robot would come to life like Pinocchio. It would then be alive.
And what about stone? The first thing that comes to mind is the aesthetic value of stone. A beautiful stone is art, but not made by man, but by nature itself. Often millions, even billions of years old. Its breakage would be a loss of the experience of beauty, joy and admiration. Value does not arise only from utility, but from experience and meaning. Fine natural formations and stones offer experiences. Stones can also have cultural significance, such as the sacred stones of the Sami, Polynesian and other indigenous peoples. They can transmit ancient knowledge, meanings and wisdom from generation to generation. Stones also have value in learning and science. By studying them, one can learn new things about the world and gain new knowledge. They can be used in teaching.
Stones, forests, rivers and mountains are part of the ecosystem and the Earth. Although they do not experience pain, their survival enables life and beauty for others. Stones are often important for living species in the ecosystem, even for survival. A stone on a beach can provide a place for lichen to grow. A stone is its own unique habitat, with its own species, for example, certain types of flowers. In the tundra, a stone can protect plants from the wind and thus enable their existence. Limestones make it possible for groves to exist, for example here in Finland. Stones are also an important part of the cycle of natural substances. They enable many kinds of life with their diversity. We talk about geodiversity: the more diverse the rocks and soil, the more diverse the living, biotic nature on them.
In deep ecological thinking, all parts of nature are valuable in themselves, not just for human benefit. All nature has value and meaning, even if it is not a living being. When we learn to see value in stones, plants and animals, we develop empathy and respect for the whole world.
Mines destroy a lot of beautiful geology and it is quite brutal how many fine stones are destroyed.
The next time you see a stone, look at it with special appreciation.
Daniel Elkama