Philosopher, Mountaineer. Regarded as the foremost Norwegian philosopher of the 20th century. Internationally known as the founder of the concept "deep ecology" wich enriched and divided the environmental movement. Deep ecology teaches the belief that Earth as a planet has as much right as its inhabitants, such as humans, to survive and flourish. His philosophical work focused on Spinoza, Buddhism and Gandhi, and he was the youngest person to be appointed full professor at the University of Oslo at 27. Næss was also an activist, inspired by Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring. In 1970, together with a large number of demonstrators, he chained himself to rocks in front of Mardalsfossen, a waterfall in a Norwegian fjord, and refused to descend until plans to build a dam were dropped. The demonstrators were carried away by police but the action was a success. He was the first chairman of Greenpeace Norway when it was founded in 1988 and was also a Green party candidate. As a mountaineer, Næss led the first expedition to conquer the 25,289 ft Tirich Mir, in Pakistan, in 1950. He led a second Norwegian expedition up the mountain in 1964. Mountains were at the centre of his vision and he often asked audiences to practise the Taoist injuction to "listen with the third ear" and "think like a mountain". For a quarter of his life he lived in an isolated hut high in the Hallingskarvet mountains in southern Norway. Uncle of the late Arne Næss jr., businessman and mountaneer, who was for several years married to singer Diana Ross. Næss received an honorable funeral attended by the prime minister and members of the royal family.
Philosopher, Mountaineer. Regarded as the foremost Norwegian philosopher of the 20th century. Internationally known as the founder of the concept "deep ecology" wich enriched and divided the environmental movement. Deep ecology teaches the belief that Earth as a planet has as much right as its inhabitants, such as humans, to survive and flourish. His philosophical work focused on Spinoza, Buddhism and Gandhi, and he was the youngest person to be appointed full professor at the University of Oslo at 27. Næss was also an activist, inspired by Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring. In 1970, together with a large number of demonstrators, he chained himself to rocks in front of Mardalsfossen, a waterfall in a Norwegian fjord, and refused to descend until plans to build a dam were dropped. The demonstrators were carried away by police but the action was a success. He was the first chairman of Greenpeace Norway when it was founded in 1988 and was also a Green party candidate. As a mountaineer, Næss led the first expedition to conquer the 25,289 ft Tirich Mir, in Pakistan, in 1950. He led a second Norwegian expedition up the mountain in 1964. Mountains were at the centre of his vision and he often asked audiences to practise the Taoist injuction to "listen with the third ear" and "think like a mountain". For a quarter of his life he lived in an isolated hut high in the Hallingskarvet mountains in southern Norway. Uncle of the late Arne Næss jr., businessman and mountaneer, who was for several years married to singer Diana Ross. Næss received an honorable funeral attended by the prime minister and members of the royal family.
Bio by: Just Like Birds
Advertisement
See more Naess memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
