This article is a summary of the series From Homo economicus to Homo ecologicus ~ Cultural Evolution During the 21st Century. It follows
Sequel 1 on conscious evolution,
Sequel 2 on human supremacy,
Sequel 3 on human personhood,
Sequel 4 on human relations,
Sequel 5 on human agency,
Sequel 6 on historical dynamics,
Sequel 7 on personal dynamics,
Sequel 8 on gender dynamics,
Sequel 9 on social dynamics,
Sequel 10 on industrial dynamics,
Sequel 11 on growth dynamics, and
Sequel 12 on degrowth dynamics. The patriarchal era that has prevailed since the inception of human history is now coming to an end. At a time when humanity is seeking a new culture for survival, religious patriarchy is a formidable source of resistance to change. All the religious traditions must face ecological realities and renounce patriarchal theologies that no longer serve the glory of God and the common good of humanity.
"All flesh is grass." Isaiah 40:6
"Let what is outdated recede, let everything be new."
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
The original unity of man and woman emanates from the original unity of humans and their natural habitat. Both unities have been broken by the patriarchal culture of division and domination. Both unities must be restored for integral human development and an integral ecology. Else, the human species may become extinct before the end of this millennium.
Cultural Evolution During the 21st Century and Beyond
Cultural evolution during this century is the beginning of human evolution during this millennium, pursuant to a new order of things whereby humans renounce all pretensions of exceptionalism and learn to live in communion, with one another and with their natural habitat. The future is unknown, but it is proposed that human agency is adaptable, and it is anticipated that humans will continue to seek ways to survive and flourish during the inevitable transition from growth to degrowth. Delusions of grandeur will surrender to ecological realities, and a new order of solidarity and sustainability will emerge from the ashes of the patriarchal order. This working hypothesis has been elaborated in previous postings, as follows:
Cultural evolution ~ We are living the apogee of human power and ecological overshoot. The great challenge of humanity in the 21st century is to establish a healthy ecological balance between humans and the planet. We need a cultural revolution from Homo economicus to Homo ecologicus. It is imperative to outgrow the patriarchal culture of power and domination -- of man over woman, of humans over other humans, of humans over Mother Nature.
Conscious evolution ~ Patriarchal domination, driven by patriarchal gender ideology, is the most universal and most deeply ingrained form of domination. To outgrow Homo economicus and become Homo ecologicus, cultural evolution during the 21st century must be an
integral conscious evolution. The collective unconscious must consciously move from prioritizing individualistic goals to prioritizing the common good.
Human supremacy ~ Evolving our global culture from an artificial, unnatural mindset of domination to a more natural mindset of partnership between humans, and between humans and nature, is what is meant by Homo sapiens becoming Homo ecologicus. The modern myth of infinite growth in a finite planet is rooted in the ancient myth of human supremacy, whence many other nefarious ideologies derive, including male supremacy and white supremacy. While cultural evolution cannot be governed, it can be influenced via human actions, human agency, and conscious behavioral evolution via acting persons.
Human personhood ~ All human beings, men and women, share one and the same human nature. Sexual complementarity does not cancel natural consubstantiality. There are objective and subjective dimensions of human personhood. The subjective dimension is the inner spectrum of the human person, whereby body and identity and fused into one person, in one body, with one unique identity; and the fusing together of body and identity happens at successively deeper levels of the personal subject. For all men and women of good will to effectively contribute to integral human development and an integral ecology it is indispensable to sanitize human relations, as much as possible, from the inner disposition of rivalry that is generally manifested as domination/submission struggles.
Human relations ~ The relation between humanity and the human habitat is a mirror of the relation between man and woman. The converse is also true: the relation between man and woman is a mirror of the relation between humanity and the human habitat. Since the inception of human history, all social and ecological relations have been corrupted by an abusive hegemony of male over female. The historical confluence of Greek anthropocentrism and Roman imperialism vitiated the emergence of Christendom after the "conversion" of Constantine. As we enter the third decade of the third millennium of the Christian era, it is time to test everything, keep what is good, question what is not so good, and discard what is bad.
Human agency ~ Human agency is the human capacity to act in ways that influence human communities and the human habitat. The choices any acting person makes over time are influenced by culture and the evolution of culture. Since time immemorial, the patriarchal culture of human supremacy has prevailed, with nefarious social and ecological consequences. Integral development of the human person is forged by the way he or she acts within the web of human relations in which the person is embedded. Human agency emanates from the choices a person makes to guide his or her actions.
Historical dynamics ~ The historical dynamics of human agency are tightly coupled to cultural evolution. In practical terms, cultural evolution has thus far unfolded within a patriarchal context. The dictionary defines patriarchy as "a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line." In other words, "a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it." With few exceptions, patriarchy has prevailed worldwide since the inception of human history, coinciding with the agricultural revolution, and has conditioned most religious traditions for millennia; a conditioning that has included the masculinization of God.
Personal dynamics ~ The life of each and every human being matters. Historical dynamics emerge, over time, from millions (now billions) of personal dynamics and the evolution of cultures. Personal dynamics are the life histories of each human being from birth to death. There is symbiosis between personal time histories and the prevailing culture of the times, for "no one grows alone" (Carl Jung). There is also symbiosis between personal time histories and the human habitat, because human beings are embodied personal subjects (Genesis 2:7) who need food, water, and other natural resources in order to survive, and even more so in order to thrive.
Gender dynamics ~ "Human development, if not engendered, is endangered" (UN Human Development Report, 1995). The patriarchal phase of human history is passing away. Gender equality is a sign of the times. Human agency, and all kinds of human behavior, are shaped by human sexuality in families and communities. Gender dynamics drive social dynamics at the macroscopic levels of nations as well as the international community of nations embedded in the ecosphere.
Social dynamics ~ The maximum power principle is crucial for understanding social dynamics. Basically, it is about power. In ecological systems, it means maximizing the flow of energy to support maintenance and growth for any given species. The human species is a subset of the planetary ecosystem, and human agency is by no means exempt from the propensity to use power to prosper, and abuse power if necessary to grow in numbers and comfort. Millennia of seeking and using/abusing power long ago induced the creation of patriarchy and myths about human supremacy. Maximum competition, minimum cooperation. This is "business as usual," seeking maximum quick profits in the short term with minimal regard for anything else. Domination via the market is the hallmark of patriarchal capitalism. Even more so of patriarchal socialism/communism, in which there is enforced control of the market by the state.
Industrial dynamics ~ The evolution from Homo economicus (economic consciousness) to Homo ecologicus (ecological consciousness) entails dismantling the technocratic scaffolding in which industrial civilization is embedded. Technology has become a sacred cow. It is commonly presented as the solution to all social issues and the guarantor of perpetual progress. And by "technology" is generally meant "high technology" that is intrinsically resource-intensive and energy-intensive. Homo economicus has an insatiable appetite for more power to dominate others and nature. Money leads to power, so Homo economicus wants to have an economic system driven by financialization and short-term financial profit, regardless of side effects and future consequences.
Growth dynamics ~ The delusion of infinite economic growth is the most widespread form of witchcraft in the world today. By incessantly repeating (via mainstream media, politicians, demagogues, etc) that endless growth is possible, it induces people to believe that it is really possible. Nothing is farther from the truth, and we may be getting close to ecological tipping points that will inevitably end the delusion and force humanity to transition from growth to degrowth. We have been bewitched by the patriarchal culture of dominion and material growth at the expense of the poor and non-human nature.
Degrowth dynamics ~ Three broad strategies have been proposed to guide human behavior during the transition from growth to sustainability: mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. Mitigation strategies attempt to reduce the rate of natural resource depletion and other negative impacts of economic activity on the human habitat. Adaptation strategies attempt to reverse environmental degradation by changing patterns of human behavior regarding production and consumption of goods and services. Resilience is the capacity of persons, families, and communities to survive under adverse environmental conditions. Planning for resilience is key. Some mix of mitigation, adaptation, and planning for resilience will emerge as the degrowth transition unfolds.
In brief, degrowth is coming. Growth of the human enterprise must come to an end as natural resources are depleted, the planet is polluted, and the biosphere's capacity for regeneration of renewable resources is compromised. The focus of human agency (everywhere, at all levels, under any system of governance) must evolve from anthropocentric convenience to ecocentric priorities. It must be a conscious evolution by individuals and communities. Having outgrown (at least in principle) slavery and racism, the emerging new horizon is to outgrow all forms of sexism, because human agency is male and female, and the urgency and depth of cultural evolution that will be required can happen if, and only if, men and women work together for the common good. Gender balance in all dimensions of society is a sign of the times, but religious patriarchy persists as the most formidable obstacle for integral human development and an integral ecology.
Simulations of Cultural Evolution
Humanity is being overtaken by megatrends of overpopulation (reaching 8 billions this month), overconsumption, overshoot of the biosphere's capacity to regenerate most renewable resources, and irreversible depletion of nonrenewable resources (fossil fuels, minerals). Financialization of everything is part of the greenwashing smoke screen, and easy money can kick the can down the road but cannot create calories out of thin air. Angels are not coming to the rescue. But perhaps the first step in facing the future is to humbly recognize that complex systems are unpredictable, and we don't know what we don't know. However, based on our very limited knowledge and the currently emerging megatrends, we still should try to discern possible futures in order to prepare as best we can. "We can't control systems or figure them out. But we can dance with them!" (Donella Meadows, Dancing with Systems, 2004). Computer simulations are a useful way to explore plausible scenarios of cultural evolution in terms of quantifiable symptoms. The following box is a summary of a degrowth scenario.
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SUMMARY OF THE SIMULATED DEGROWTH SCENARIO
This is a simulated scenario, not a prediction. It portrays dynamic modes of behavior that can be expected during the transition from growth to sustainability. Both simulated time (horizontal axis) and simulated variables (vertical axis) can be adjusted without changing the fundamental patterns of growth, oscillations, and degrowth. During the transition, undoubtedly there will be noise due to short-term social, economic, and ecological perturbations, but it is anticipated that this overall patterns of peaks and valleys will be experienced in the long-term:
Population peaking, then oscillating and finally decreasing to a long-term sustainable level. Note the time-phasing with GDP and per capita consumption of material goods and services.
The peak in energy availability is followed by a long decline until it settles to the steady-state flow that is allowed by solar, wind, and other renewable sources of energy. The "long-tail" is the result of gradually decreasing extractability of fossil fuels and technological developments with gradually decreasing return on energy invested.
The solidarity index is currently formulated as a nonlinear function of human population, material consumption, and energy flows. It is an indicator of social cohesion, which is tightly coupled with the sustainability of resource usage. Solidarity reinforces sustainability and vice versa.
The general patterns of peaks, oscillations, and eventual settling to steady-state are indicative of turbulence during the transition, with high risk of disrupted supply chains, social unrest, and violence. The myth of "infinite growth in a finite planet" will not be easy to overcome.
This is not intended to be an "alarmist" scenario. However, it would be wise to take the Precautionary Principle into account when formulation sustainable development policies during the Anthropocene. The past cannot be changed, and the future is unknown. The exact sequence and timing of events cannot be predicted, but the general transitional patterns can be anticipated on the basis of energy biophysics. Specifically, there is empirical evidence to the effect that:
1. Fossil fuel resources are high in energy content but are not infinite.
2. Fossil fuel emissions are environmentally detrimental and/or potentially unsafe.
3. Currently known clean energy alternatives offer relatively low energy content.
Given that fossil fuels are being depleted, pollution levels are damaging the environment, and clean energy alternatives may not provide enough energy to sustain industrial economies, is it wise to just continue doing "business as usual" and trusting that some earthshaking technological breakthrough will come to pass soon enough? Is it fair for people in the "developed" nations to keep indulging in energy consumption and waste while one billion people must subsist on $2 per day or less? How will population growth rate and per capita consumption change in response to impending resource constraints? Will demographic and consumption adjustments be voluntary or involuntary? If they are involuntary, there is a high risk of violence emerging in conjunction with fierce competition for resources throughout the world.
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For more information on the causal loop model diagrams, the simulation model, and plots of the simulated scenarios, click here. It cannot be overemphasized that these are hypothetical scenarios, not predictions. Nobody has a crystal ball. Nobody knows what human agency can do, or fail to do, as degrowth dynamics unfold. Perhaps there is nothing we can do. However, it is reasonable to anticipate that degrowth is coming and human agency for survival of the species will be tested to the limit.
Human Agency and the Maximum Power Principle
Patriarchy is the cultural manifestation of the Maximum Power Principle. This culture has prevailed since the inception of human history. Can human agency consciously reverse course. Since patriarchy is a cultural artifact, and therefore not inherent to human nature, such cultural reversal is possible. What humans have done, humans can undo. What humans have done, humans can improve. Human nature is human nature, and there is no going back, but it is not impossible to go forward in an evolutionary process of human renewal. "There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself" (Pope Francis, Laudato Si', 118). Easier said than done, but it is not biophysically impossible. Two guiding principles are proposed for this renewal of humanity:
Integral Human Development "is the holistic development of the human person, covering all aspects of life: social, economic, political, cultural, personal and spiritual. It promotes the dignity of the human person, equality between every person, and the common good of all people in the community."
Integral Ecology "can be understood broadly as the connection between humans and our environment, and more specifically as an approach to global problems that would rectify the ecological debt that the Global North owes the Global South."
It follows that an integral ecology is contingent on integral human development. In other words, human agency for an integral ecology is practically impossible unless humans are fully aware of "the dignity of the human person, equality between every person, and the common good of all people in the community," because a healthy habitat is required for the common good. Since humans are embodied sexual beings, it then follows that any form of sexual discrimination is an obstacle to integral human development and is also an obstacle to an integral ecology.
Patriarchal gender ideology is a formidable obstacle to both. Religious patriarchy, rooted in patriarchal gender ideology, is even worse, because it elevates discrimination to divine law. No wonder patriarchy has such a long tail. That patriarchy is an objective disorder of human nature is well known (Genesis 3:16, the first and most universal consequence of the original disorder, aka "original sin"). For this reason, if we are to foster integral human development and an integral ecology, it is imperative to dismantle patriarchy in all religious traditions.
Resistance to Change from Religious Patriarchy
This is the point of intersection of the secular and religious dimensions. Both secular and religious institutions are addicted to the Maximum Power Principle as evidenced by their massive ecological footprint and overshoot. The patriarchal culture has penetrated the religions, and patriarchal religions reinforce the patriarchal mindset. Resistance to change from religious patriarchy is pervasive in most religious traditions. Some progress has been made in the churches of the Anglican Communion and other Protestant churches. Due to persisting adherence to patriarchal anthropology and patriarchal theology, no significant progress has been made in the Catholic and Orthodox churches. For a historical chronology of this phenomenon in the Catholic Church, see Religious Patriarchy in the Judeo-Christian Tradition. Such is the cultural inertia that most religious patriarchies thus far remain closed to reasoning, but reason and socioecological realities shall prevail in the long term. The following table is a summary critique of Catholic patriarchy:
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SUMMARY CRITIQUE OF THE CATHOLIC PATRIARCHY
1. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer, God made flesh, not a patriarch.
2. God the Father is a person, but not a male.
3. God the Son is a person, but was not a male before the incarnation.
4. God the Holy Spirit is a person, but not a male.
5. The Trinity is a communion of persons, not a patriarchate.
6. The "Son of Man" is God made flesh, not a patriarch.
7. All men and women are fully consubstantial in one and the same human nature.
8. Bodiliness and sexuality are not simply identical.
9. Being a body-soul is more fundamental for human nature than sexuality.
10. The body is a sacrament of the entire person, but is not the entire person.
11. The priest acts in the person of Christ, not in the masculinity of Christ.
12. All men and women are ontologically homogeneous in their whole being.
13. All men and women are of the same flesh in their somatic structure.
14. The complementarity of man and woman is enabled by their consubstantiality.
15. All men and women are fully consubstantial with Jesus Christ as to his humanity.
16. For the redemption, the masculinity of Jesus is as incidental as the color of his eyes.
17. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life, not the male of life.
18. The substance of the Eucharist is BODY, not XX or XY chromosomes.
19. The substance of the Eucharist is FLESH, not testosterone.
20. The Church is "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic," but not necessarily patriarchal.
21. Patriarchy is a disordered attachment to the supremacy of masculinity.
22. The Church is a communion of persons, not a patriarchate.
23. The Church is the body of Christ, not a woman with a male head.
24. The Virgin Mary is the "type" of the Church, not a woman with a male head.
25. The Virgin Mary precedes the sacramental economy as Mother of the Eucharist.
26. The Marian dimension of the Church precedes the apostolic dimension.
27. Apostolic succession is contingent on redeemed flesh, not on masculinity.
28. The nuptial mystery of Christ and the Church is not a patriarchal marriage.
29. Canon 1024 is an artificial contraceptive and abortifacient of female priestly vocations.
30. Catechism 1577 reduces the priesthood of the New Law to priesthood of the Old Law.
31. Catechism 1598 declares that ordaining only males is a choice, not a dogma.
32. The exclusively male priesthood makes invisible the "feminine genius" in Christ.
33. The Christian/Catholic/Orthodox faith is not intrinsically (dogmatically) patriarchal.
34. The conflation of patriarchal gender ideology and Christian doctrines is a disgrace.
35. Institutionalized ecclesiastical patriarchy is an abuse against Christ and the Church.
36. It is time to discard the patriarchal scaffolding that obscures the Catholic faith.
37. Male headship is an ancient but entirely artificial cultural custom, not natural law.
38. After the resurrection, nothing requires that apostolic succession be exclusively male.
39. The first "transubstantiation" in history happened in the Blessed Virgin Mary's body.
40. Transubstantiation can happen via women ordained to act in persona Christi.
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In a recent meeting with the staff of America Magazine, Pope Francis was asked about the ordination of women. He replied with some allegorical rationalizations based on patriarchal theology. Paraphrasing, he said and/or imply something to the effect that the priestly ministry is male because Jesus and the 12 apostles were male; the church is a woman even though men also can be members; the Virgin Mary is a woman, and much more than the apostles, but is not an apostle; men can be fathers and can be ministers (is this because they belong to the Petrine "human nature"?); women can be mothers but cannot be ministers (is this because they belong to the Marian "human nature," not to the Petrine "human nature"?); in brief, another reiteration of condescending patriarchal elucubrations.
Question: Is there one human nature, male and female, mutually complementary but also fully consubstantial; or are there two different, mutually complementarity and mutually exclusive human natures, one male and one female? The Theology of the Body 8:1, 8:4 clearly explains that there is one human nature, albeit embodied in male and female bodies. The problem is that metaphors (and analogies, allegories, etc.) capture some aspects of reality, but not the complete reality; and cannot possibly exhaust the mysteries of faith. In effect, Francis is reducing the Christ-Church mystery to a patriarchal allegory about spousal relations. It is lamentable that the Vatican remains trapped in the simplistic gender binary of patriarchal gender ideology. This is incompatible with the Theology of the Body 95b, but Genesis 3:16 has a long tail.
This is not meant to disrespect what the Pope has said, but it is perplexing to see a good man like Francis, who is well known for his congeniality and pastoral sensitivity, revert to the rigid gender binary, and the patriarchal gender ideology of gender essentialism, in trying to defend patriarchal anthropology and patriarchal theology. The bottom line is that the church is not ready. Old habits die hard. Patriarchy has been around for a long time, and has a long tail (cf. Genesis 3:16). But the church is the body of Christ, not a woman with a male head (item 23 in the pink table). The Blessed Virgin Mary is a woman, not a woman with a male head (item 24 in the pink table). As long as there is no gender biodiversity, male and female, in the hierarchy of the church, why should people pay any attention to Laudato si and Fratelli tutti? Consider Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34, the legend of Mother Pelican, and the Theology of the Body. As long as we stay inside the box of patriarchal anthropology, forget about integral human development, and forget about integral ecology. There can be no Homo ecologicus as long as the church is Mulier patriarchalis.
Back in 1967, in his seminal article, The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis, historian Lynn White Jr persuasively argued that patriarchal Christendom has been the main cultural driver of ecological overshoot. Indeed, the patriarchal mindset, in conjunction with religious patriarchy, is the cultural manifestation of the Maximum Power Principle. Nothing has changed since 1967, except that we have many more people living on our planet, consuming much more stuff, and producing a lot more waste; and nothing will change until we have a cultural revolution to dismantle the patriarchal curse. This cultural revolution will have to come from below, from the grassroots of the people of God, because it will never "trickle down" from above. Can this revolution come to pass via the process of synodality?
Necessity and Sufficiency of Human Agency
To a significant extent, human agency is both necessary and sufficient to start the process of transition from patriarchy to solidarity and sustainability. It is unknown if finishing the process will ever be attained, but it can get started. The process of cultural renewal will have to happen from the bottom up, because it will never happen from the top down. Patriarchal elites (both secular and religious) will persist in "business as usual" until they hit a brick wall. "All of this shows the urgent need for us to move forward in a bold cultural revolution (Pope Francis, Laudato Si', 114). This "bold cultural revolution" must emerge from below, from the grassroots, from common citizens and local communities. Let shopping malls be empty, and let churches and basilicas be empty to stop the money flows that sustain patriarchal power and honors; then we can hope to make progress toward integral human development and integral ecology. We are now reaching the Seneca cliff, the "peak everything" tipping point between growth and degrowth. Henceforth, silence is complicity.
"This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church."
Ephesians 5:32
"Let us not fear that truth might endanger truth."
Bishop Christopher Butler OSB (1902-1986)
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