In this essay, modernity in the view of nature is defined as a dynamic interaction between eco-centrism and anthropocentrism. And environmental pragmatism the rationale of which is rooted in ‘experience'' might articulate those binary positions either of whose logics cannot avoid a fundamentalist view of the world. Thoreau''s view of nature anticipates environmental pragmatism in that it is formulated through his nature-experiencing whereas he never rejects the transcendentalist view of nature. But his experience-based concept of nature is significantly differentiated from the Emersonian transcendentalist view of nature whose logic is fixed to an a priori reasoning. Therefore, it could be said that Thoreau invites dynamic dialogues in terms of nature-perception while Emerson presses his readers with a coercive view of nature.