Envisioning a sustainable future will require at least four additional posts, beginning with this one. These four posts devoted to the envisioning process precede subsequent posts that focus on the designing and planning process. Both approaches reinforce one another throughout the remainder of this multi-post past, present, and future overview of our human story and future sustainability. When this series of posts conclude several weeks from now, I plan to address specific topics related to the material covered throughout this overview series. The basic material for completing this series has been written, but remains open for adding updated information as we move along.
A Worldview Value System for a Sustainable Future
As indicated previously in this human-story series, I identify with a growing number of global socioecological citizens dedicated to formulating and promoting a new worldview paradigm, the goal being to create a resilient, regenerative, and sustainable existence for all lifeforms. Adopting a sustainable paradigm will essentially require transforming all societal institutions into effective mediums for serving the Common Good— rather than the mercenary motivations of individuals, corporations, institutions, and governments.
Determining appropriate initiatives for achieving a sustainable future requires understanding our human sphere’s relationship within the ecosphere. Together, these two spheres comprise what I refer to as our symbiotically combined socio-ecological sphere. Although both spheres are interconnected in all areas of life, for our purposes we’ll focus on the predominant aspects of each as they have developed in our modern era.
As discussed in previous parts of this series, it seems reasonable to state that humanity and the planet are facing a mega-sized socioecological predicament, largely the result of our misguided anthropocentric exceptionalism and hubris. How we decide to rectify the social and ecological wrongs we’ve wrought, both intentionally and unintentionally, will require envisioning a sustainable way of living on the only known planet capable of sustaining life: our amazing one-of-a-kind Earth. We’ll begin with considering aspects of our human sphere that need attention, followed by considering how our human sphere is systemically and symbiotically embedded within our planet’s ecosphere.
To recap some information provided in the first few posts, anthropologists inform us that animism was the nature-centered belief system of humans throughout most of our evolutionary process. Our early ancestors evolved as an integral part of the natural world, deeply interconnected with all that existed. Most human groups in the early paleolithic era existed as small family bands and tribes for thousands of years, largely depending on the essential traits of cooperation and collaboration for survival.
As discussed earlier (post 3 and post 4), when our ancient egalitarian hunter-forager ancestors had increased in numbers, they began experiencing limited available food sources (wild animals and edible plants). Various-sized groups decided to settle in areas providing available game and edible plants, along with small-scale farming and domestication of animals. Significantly, in the long transitional process to civilizational status our ancestors gradually lost their animistic relationship with the natural world. As we are learning, since the beginning of our modern era the chasm between humans and the ecosphere has grown ever larger.
In post 5 we learned that, as population increased and progressively expanded, larger and denser human settlements resulted in the formation of villages, towns, cities, and eventually large empires. Some historians posit that the transition to centralized societies, chiefdoms, archaic states, and large dominating empires was the result of war chiefs and their supporters protecting and controlling the surplus food storage that agricultural growth and development made possible.
As general populations grew larger and increasingly hard to manage, the ruling elite promoted belief systems that were mostly founded on hierarchical patriarchy. In ancient Western Civilization, for instance, multiple major and minor gods — including rulers proclaimed as gods — were created to influence human beliefs and behaviors, even the destiny of individuals and groups. Gradually, the concept of an anthropocentric father-figure God emerged, a single omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent personal super being who demanded obedience and fealty. History shows that the strategy worked quite effectively, and remains so today.
I empathize with experts who claim that human-contrived religions either ignore or downplay the key role of the evolutionary process in sustaining life. Also, that in their current forms they are incompatible with creating and maintaining a sustainable socioecological existence. In contrast, an eco-centric worldview makes good sense, whereby Nature is placed front and center, with humans integrally connected and beholden to all that exists. Actually, modified versions of the nature-centered beliefs of our ancient ancestors are practiced today by some surviving indigenous peoples, populations generally more grounded in a holistic and interdependent way of thinking and being.
Understandably, convincing conventional religious folk to adopt a nature-based worldview will not be easy. But if more humans were to truly believe in the intrinsic rights of all lifeforms and natural entities to exist and flourish within a healthy ecosphere, it might be possible to survive as a species and create a sustainable existence. In sum, rather than emphasizing self-serving interests, our ultimate goal should be to serve the common good, not only for a single species but for all forms of life.
Respecting and acknowledging nature as the primary source of everything needed for evolving and sustaining life will also help elevate consciousness in all sentient beings. I’m convinced a nature-oriented belief system – including several worldviews discussed in the previous post – could provide the foundation for envisioning and creating a sustainable future paradigm, whether individuals are committed to a formal religion or secular spirituality. Possible tenets of an eco-centered belief system will be covered in subsequent posts, when we consider what’s needed in designing and implementing plans for a sustainable future. To be sure there are some major roadblocks and hurdles to overcome, including our mega socioecological predicament, which is also addressed in a previous post: Our Unsustainable Present.
Overcoming Humanity’s Complex Mega Predicament
To reiterate, creating a sustainable paradigm requires acknowledging how complex and complicated modern life has become, especially since the beginning of the 20th century and WWI era. All of our crises are directly or indirectly the result of a socioeconomic pro-growth paradigm, as illustrated by our expanding human population and an aggressive techno-industrial economic system that demands the ongoing unsustainable extraction, production, and consumption of finite natural materials. Even worse is the ongoing flood of waste products, including many dangerous toxic chemicals that permeate water, land, and air systems, as well as the bodies of all living things.
Toxic chemicals also affect our brains, hampering our ability to cope with the complexity and complications of modern life, including a constant barrage of attention-getting media-generated news, propaganda, marketing strategies, and an endless array of goods and services. Most of all, we are deluged with massive digitalized technological information. No wonder more people are suffering from the types of debilitating psycho-emotional stresses that often precipitate serious physical illnesses.
The anticipated problems associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) are potentially devastating, perhaps catastrophic enough to hasten the collapse of civilization. Digitalized deepfake information generated in the news and social-media sphere promises to continue spewing misinformation and disinformation in all areas of life — socio-cultural (tribal), economic, political, environmental, etc. — using narratives that cause negative responses, particularly fear, distrust, and hate toward “others”.
Also, we must not overlook the possibility of AI perpetrating catastrophic geopolitical conflicts — perhaps even nuclear war, intentionally or accidentally. As socioecologist Richard Heinberg explains: “With AI, humanity is outsourcing its executive control of nearly every key sector — finance, warfare, medicine, and agriculture — to algorithms with no moral capacity. If you are wondering what could go wrong, the answer is plenty.” Indeed, our techno-industrial-information age, amazing as it is, poses historic challenges in assuring long-term sustainability (or survivability) for both humanity and the ecosphere.
Wrap Up
For readers who find any information in my posts unclear or questionable, I encourage checking hyperlinks for clarification of sources and contents. Comments and questions are welcomed.
In the next post (Envisioning, Part 2) we will consider the major sociocultural, economic, and political challenges humanity will face in coming decades. Some of the information has been introduced in previous posts, but revisiting them can help reinforce learning and provide grounding for additional information within a different context and viewpoint. If you’re reading for the first time, I recommend at least skimming through previous posts to gain a better understanding of where this post, as well as upcoming posts, fit within the framework of our human story and future sustainability.
Till next time . . .
Part 2 is published
here
and republished
here.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Clifton Ware, D.M., emeritus professor (voice), professional singer and author of four published books and two unpublished works, retired in 2007 from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities School of Music, where he taught for 37 years. Since retiring, as a self-described socio-ecological philosopher he has spent 15 years focusing on sustainability issues, in the process of acquiring an evidence-based, big-picture understanding of all principal societal and ecological systems, including the symbiotic interconnections and role of humans as an integral part of Nature. In 2013 he founded Citizens for Sustainability in St. Anthony Village, MN, produced Sustainability News + Views (2014-2019), a weekly newsletter featuring a variety of articles and a commentary, co-composed 13 Eco Songs with his wife, Bettye, organized Sustainability Forums, and performed eco-oriented programs and presentations for several organizations.
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