[iDC] The Future of the Humanities

[Janet Hawtin]

On Sun, Jul 10, 2011 at 5:35 AM, david mcconville <id at elumenati.com> wrote:

> True innovators decline to remain locked in the STEM cell — as this month's
> stories  show. They include craft brewers who are also into urban renewal;
> geeks who are also into gardening; and a blacksmith who's designed a
> high-tech permaculture greenhouse. These guys, who use science and art in a
> whole systems context, are where the future lies.

yes. the true innovation of our time imho is happening outside of the
industrial systems of production.
this is their strength and their weakness. it is their strength
because they are able to think from
a perspective which does not start with a subjective-competitive
commercial value set.
it feels like a weakness because it feels systemically marginal.

imho

imagine if every local region did a census of species. regularly.
perhaps citizen collected like a human census.
indigenous and introduced, food, fibre, and habitat.
imagine if each community took as its first principle that any species
indigenous to that area must have
room to live sustainably in a coherent ecology. that the continuation
of biological diversity was a foundation goal for each local area and
the planet as a whole. plan that space. mean it.

then look at the human communities
population growth IS a problemdhoc
growth of consumption IS a problem
if countries want to be critical of china for their single child
policy what is their better solution?

once we accept that continued growth is NOT acceptable then we have to
look at what is a healthy balance and how to we work to get there?
these are fundamental questions which are beyond the dialogue of
current economics and science because they all assume
growth, profit, competition, subjective advancement over systemic health.

not sure if this helps with humanities. to me it is the ecologies
which are more marginalised,
they have no voice. they are resources. we assume their destiny is the
tragedy of the commons and continue on.
i think we can do better.

i also think that it is not a coincidence that china tackled such a
pivotal issue
where democtatic nations cannot apparently even consider the concept.
we cannot do unpopular systemic health strategies very well and this
one cuts right to the core.
democracies and capitalist structures are largely beholden to short
term subjective competitive goals and power struggles.
the advancement of democracy is also an advancement of that challenge.

what do you think? how could it change? where do humanities fit in a
change of focus?

j