Charisma in conservation biology. Preliminary notes to an aesthetic-philosophical approach

Mariagrazia Portera

doi:10.54103/2039-9251/29670

Autori/Autrici

Mariagrazia Portera University of Florence https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3949-8147

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54103/2039-9251/29670

Parole chiave:

estinzione, bias, Antropocene, Max Weber

Abstract

Il carisma nella biologia della conservazione. Note preliminari per un approccio estetico-filosofico

L’obiettivo del presente articolo è esplorare la nozione di carisma nella biologia della conservazione. Negli ultimi anni tale nozione ha acquisito grande popolarità tra i conservazionisti, come è possibile constatare ad esempio nell’espressione “megafauna carismatica”. In generale, nella biologia della conservazione, una specie è definita “carismatica” quando esercita un impatto non ordinario sugli esseri umani – in particolare nella capacità di catturare l’attenzione, stimolare l’immaginazione e suscitare risposte emotive memorabili
Nonostante l’uso diffuso, la nozione di carisma ha ricevuto finora, salvo poche eccezioni, una scarsa attenzione critica da un punto di vista concettuale e filosofico all’interno delle scienze della conservazione. Il presente articolo si propone di avviare tale indagine, tornando all’origine weberiana del concetto e proponendo un’interpretazione del carisma non umano come fenomeno emergente, relazionale, dipendente dal contesto ed ecologicamente collettivo.

Downloads

I dati di download non sono ancora disponibili.

Riferimenti bibliografici

Adamo M., Sousa R., Wipf S., Correia R.A.,, Lumia A., Mucciarelli M. et al., Dimension and impact of biases in funding for species and habitat conservation, “Biological Conservation”, 2022, 272, 109636. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109636

Albert C., Luque G.M., Courchamp F., The twenty most charismatic species, 2028, “PLoS ONE”, 13 (7), e0199149. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199149

Arielli E., Carisma tra estetica e politica, in H.-C. Günther (ed.), Kunst im zwanzigsten Jahrhundert Zwischen Klassizismus und Moderne, zwischen privatem und öffentlichem Raum, Verlag Traugott Bautz, Nordhausen 2017, pp. 151-178.

Barisione M., Reviving Metapersonal Charisma in Max Weber, “Political Theory”, 51 (3), 2023, pp. 530-556. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00905917221129632

Berti E., Monsarrat S., Munk M., Jarvie S., Svenning J-.S., Body size is a good proxy for vertebrate charisma, “Biological Conservation”, 251, 2020, 108790. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108790

Borghini A., Esistono proprietà intrinseche?, “Rivista di estetica”, 43, 2010, online since April 27 2017, accessed on June 25 2025. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/estetica/1813; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/estetica.1813. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/estetica.1813

Brambilla M., Gustin M., Celada C., Species appeal predicts conservation status, “Biological Conservation”, 160, 2013, pp. 209-213. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.02.006

Colléony A., Clayton S., Couvet D., Saint Jalme M., & Prévot A.-C., Human preferences for species conservation: Animal charisma trumps endangered status, “Biological Conservation”, 206, 2017, pp. 263-269. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.11.035

Courchamp F., Jaric I., Albert C., Meinard Y., Ripple W.J., Chapron G., The paradoxical extinction of the most charismatic animals, “PLoS Biology”, 16 (4), 2018, e2003997. Available from: doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2003997. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003997

DeKay M. L., & McClelland G.H., Probability and utility of endangered species preservation programs, “Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied”, 2(1), 1996, pp. 60-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//1076-898X.2.1.60

Desideri F., La percezione riflessa. Estetica e filosofia della mente, Raffaello Cortina, Milano 2011; Id., Origine dell’estetico. Dalle emozioni al giudizio, Carocci, Roma 2018.

Díaz S. et al, The IPBES Conceptual Framework – connecting nature and people, “Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainbaility”, 2015, 14, pp. 1-16.

Ducarme F., Luque G., Courchamp F., What are "charismatic species" for conservation biologists?, “BioSciences Master Reviews”, 2013, 1, pp. 1-8.

Fordahl C., Beyond Animal Charisma: A Sociological Approach to Charismatic Species, “Conservation & Society”, vol. 22, no. 1, 2024, pp. 14-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/cs.cs_118_22

Guénard B., Hughes A.C., Lainé C., Cannicci S., Russell B.D., Williams G.A., Limited and biased global conservation funding means most threatened species remain unsupported, “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”, 2025, 122 (9), e2412479122. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2412479122

Gunnthorsdottir A., Physical attractiveness of an animal species as a decision factor for its preservation, “Anthrozoös: A Multidisciplinary Journal of the Interactions of People & Animals”, 14, 2001, pp. 204-215. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2752/089279301786999355

Isaac M., Fukushima C.S., Macura B. et al., How is the concept of charisma used in the academic literature about biodiversity conservation? A systematic map protocol., “Environmental Evidence”, 13, 29, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-024-00353-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-024-00353-2

Jarić I., Courchamp F., Correia R.A., Crowley S.L., Essl F., et al., The role of species charisma in biological invasions, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2020, 18, pp. 345-353. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2195

Jax K., Conservation Concepts. Rethinking Human-Nature Relationships, Routledge, London-New York 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003251002

Kraemer K., Charismatischer Habitus, “Berliner Journal für Soziologie”, 12, 2002, pp. 173-187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03204051

Krause M., & Robinson K., Charismatic Species and Beyond: How Cultural Schemas and Organisational Routines shape Conservation, “Conservation and Society”, 15 (3), 2017, pp. 313–321. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/cs.cs_16_63

Lenda M., Skórka P., Mazur B., Sutherland W., Tryjanowski P., Moroń D., Meijaard E., Possingham H.P., Wilson K.A., Effects of amusing memes on concern for unappealing species, “Conservation Biology”, 2020doi:10.1111/cobi.13523. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13523

Lorimer J., Nonhuman Charisma, “Environment and Planning D: Society and Space”, 25 (5), pp. 911-932. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1068/d71j

Ludwig D. et al., Transdisciplinary Philosophy of Science: Meeting the Challenge of Indigenous Expertise, “Philosophy of Science”, 2024, 91, 5, pp. 1221-1231. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/psa.2023.127

M. Weber, Economy and Society. An Outline of Interpretive Sociology, edited by G. Roth and C. Wittich, University of California Press, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London 2013

Macdonald E.A., Burnham D., Hinks A.E., Dickman A.J., Malhi Y., Macdonald D.W., Conservation inequality and the charismatic cat: Felis felicis, “Global Ecology and Conservation”, 3, 2015, pp. 851-866. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2015.04.006

Macdonald E.A., Hinks A., Weiss D.J., Dickman A., Burnham D., Sandom C.J., Malhi Y., Macdonald D.W., Identifying ambassador species for conservation marketing, “Global Ecology and Conservation”, 12, 2017, pp. 204-214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2017.11.006

Mace G.M. , Possingham H.P., Leader-Williams N. , Prioritizing choices in conservation, in Key Topics in Conservation Biology, edited by D. MacDonald, K. Service, Blackwell, Oxford 2007, pp. 17-34.

Matteucci G., Estetica e natura umana. La mente estesa tra percezione, emozione ed espressione, Carocci, Roma 2019.

Militz T.A., Foale S., The “Nemo Effect”: Perception and reality of Finding Nemo's impact on the marine aquarium fisheries, “Fish and Fisheries”, 2017, 18, pp. 596-606. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12202

Napoli P., Le charisme et la loi. Remarques sur une bipolarité politique, in D.Y., Cohen (dir.), Formes de l’autorité, de la grandeur au charisme, “Politika”, https://www.politika.io/fr/article/charisme-loi-remarques-bipolarite-politique

Palma M., Carisma e demoni. Fonti ed effetti di un concetto politico, “Scienza & Politica. Per Una Storia Delle Dottrine”, 2020, 32(63), pp. 143-159.

Perullo N., Aesthetics Without Objects and Subjects. Relational Thinking for Global Challenges, Bloomsbury, London 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350496941

Potts J., A History of Charisma, Palgrave MacMillan, London 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230244832

Prevot A-C., Julliard R., Clayton S., Historical evidence for nature disconnection in a 70-year time series of Disney animated films, “Public understanding of science”, 2014, 24. 10.1177/0963662513519042. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662513519042

Prokop P., Zvaríková M., Zvarík M., Ježová Z., & Fedor P., Charismatic species should be large: The role of admiration and fear, “People and Nature”, 6, 2024, pp. 945-957. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10504

Rodrigues A.S.L. et al., The value of the IUCN Red List for conservation, “Trends in Ecology & Evolution”, 2006, 21, 2, pp. 71-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2005.10.010

Saito Y., Aesthetics of care: practice in everyday life, Bloomsbury, London 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350134225

Scaffai N., Sotto l’inesauribile superficie delle cose. Il paradigma della profondità nell’immaginario dell’Antropocene, Aboca, Sansepolcro 2025.

Shever E., More-than-human charisma, iconic fossils, and palaeontologists in the United States, “Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute”, 31, 2025, pp. 584-604. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.14263

Skibins J.C., Powell R.B., Hallo J.C., Charisma and conservation: charismatic megafauna’s influence on safari and zoo tourists’ pro-conservation behaviors, “Biodiversity and Conservation”, 2013, 22, 10.1007/s10531-013-0462-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-013-0462-z

Soulé M.E., What is Conservation Biology?, “BioScience”, 35, 11, 1985, pp. 727-734. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1310054

Titley M.A., Snaddon J.L., Turner E.C., Scientific research on animal biodiversity is systematically biased towards vertebrates and temperate regions, “PLoS ONE”, 12 (12), 2017, e0189577. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189577

Tuccari F., Carisma e leadership nel pensiero di Max Weber, FrancoAngeli, Milano 1991.

Turner, S., Charisma Reconsidered, “Journal of Classical Sociology”, 3, 5, 2003, pp. 5-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1468795X03003001692

Verissimo D., MacMillan D.C., Smith R.J., Toward a systematic approach for identifying conservation flagships, in “Conservation Letters”, 2011, 4, pp. 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-263X.2010.00151.x

Weber M., On Charisma and Institution Building: Selected Papers, edited and with an introduction by S.N. Eisenstadt, Chicago University Press, Chicago 1968.

Weber M., The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, translated by Talcott Parsons, with an introduction by Anthony Giddens, Routledge, London-New York 1992.

Weber M., The Vocation lectures. “Science as a Vocation” – “Politics as a Vocation”, edited and with an introduction by D. Owen, T-B. Strong, translated by R. Livingstone, Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis-Cambridge 2004.

Wu Y., Xie L., Huang S., Li P., Yuan Z., Liu W., Using social media to strengthen public awareness of wildlife conservation, “Ocean & Coastal Management”, 153, 2018, pp. 76-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2017.12.010

Charisma in conservation biology. Preliminary notes to an aesthetic-philosophical approach

Autori/Autrici

DOI:

Parole chiave:

Abstract

Downloads

Riferimenti bibliografici

Dowloads

Pubblicato

Come citare

Fascicolo

Sezione

Licenza

Lingua