The last blog ended with asking "what should we value?" How about a very flowery answer, value life. Life long into the future. This involves creating a sustainable system that does not revolve around endless growth. It involves ending the power struggle that exists in almost all aspects of our lives. This view does create too many happy images of people running around and enjoying free love. That would be ridiculous. Maybe we should just follow Jesus, Buddha, or Lao Tzu.
This is not trying to be religious, but most people need something to base their principles on. In addition, the knowledge these three passed on his a good base to learn from instead of developing through years of struggle. You need to start somewhere.
Picture the world. Can it possibility be taken in with one vision? Fly around and try to imagine every corner of the world, every person. The dimension is mind boggling. I consider this the greatest difficulty in changing people's world view. People in general (me included) are incapable of zooming out only so far before it makes no sense. There is a reason that world leaders have numerous advisers working under them, and numerous below them. They simplify and organize the data as needed. Yet, the leaders make decisions in their own little box. They have no power beyond what the people want and the people just want their lives. Change the definition of what that life is and you can change the world.
Wake up in the morning and say "I exist in a world of unfathomable suffering, what next?"
"I live within a species destined to kill itself, what next?"
Note: I will try this and see what happens. I just thought of it. The book I have been reading about "adaptive management in natural resources" has been a bust and my mind is shot.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Value-New shift
Inspired by reading some works by Herman Daly, Robert Pirsig, and Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen, among others, I have been inspired to try and organize the thoughts that have been circulating in my head. I would say "codify", but that is a little too ambitious. My goal is to develop, think about, what the next vision/plan for the world should look like. I approach it partly from an economic standpoint, but not exclusively, nor extensively.
Why start with value? "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" was about value. Value is also an important concept in economics. Because if these factors, that idea is demanding to be addressed, though it is debatable if it is the most important factor. Because the capitalist countries control the direction of the world, it is necessary to look at what drives them and what should drive them in the future. What is valued in this system? Stuff is valued. (I should apologize here for refusing to define terms in an encyclopedic manner. This is not an academic paper and the fluidity of the terms is best preserved by not defining them.) If GDP goes up (aka more stuff), then everyone is happy. This works in a world where there is an essentially limitless amount of stuff, space, and places to put trash. In the current world, we are no longer living with those conditions. This is the key point identified by Daly and Georgescu-Roegen.
In this "full" world, it is clear that we can't grow (economic growth) forever. Not when "growth" means "more stuff". Where is the quality of what is growing? It may be indirectly reflected in the price, but that is a poor measure. Yet, this is an immensely simple value system. Money is good, get money, that is where the value in life is. Is this the secret of the capitalist system? It can utterly ravage cultures because it allows you to turn off as many value systems as possible and just focus on money, and consequently wealth. There is more value placed on the outcome, money, than the process, what you do to get it. Of course, there are socially accepted (lawful) ways of acquiring money, but when the source of the money is unknown, the money's value itself outweighs other considerations.
Before this becomes a rant on wealth, I will get back on track. The value question will not be resolved today. There are too many factors involved. One of things that plagues the formulation of a new system is looking at what is valued when people are just trying to get clean water and something to eat. In the economic North, it is easy to rail against consumerism. What do you say to people living in a dirt shack who send their daughter to the city in order to assemble electronic goods? I don't want to live in dirt shack. There are things I could live without, and yet succumb to temptation and purchase. I don't know yet, but I'll look for it.
Final thoughts: What does the world system value? What do individuals value? What should be valued?
Why start with value? "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" was about value. Value is also an important concept in economics. Because if these factors, that idea is demanding to be addressed, though it is debatable if it is the most important factor. Because the capitalist countries control the direction of the world, it is necessary to look at what drives them and what should drive them in the future. What is valued in this system? Stuff is valued. (I should apologize here for refusing to define terms in an encyclopedic manner. This is not an academic paper and the fluidity of the terms is best preserved by not defining them.) If GDP goes up (aka more stuff), then everyone is happy. This works in a world where there is an essentially limitless amount of stuff, space, and places to put trash. In the current world, we are no longer living with those conditions. This is the key point identified by Daly and Georgescu-Roegen.
In this "full" world, it is clear that we can't grow (economic growth) forever. Not when "growth" means "more stuff". Where is the quality of what is growing? It may be indirectly reflected in the price, but that is a poor measure. Yet, this is an immensely simple value system. Money is good, get money, that is where the value in life is. Is this the secret of the capitalist system? It can utterly ravage cultures because it allows you to turn off as many value systems as possible and just focus on money, and consequently wealth. There is more value placed on the outcome, money, than the process, what you do to get it. Of course, there are socially accepted (lawful) ways of acquiring money, but when the source of the money is unknown, the money's value itself outweighs other considerations.
Before this becomes a rant on wealth, I will get back on track. The value question will not be resolved today. There are too many factors involved. One of things that plagues the formulation of a new system is looking at what is valued when people are just trying to get clean water and something to eat. In the economic North, it is easy to rail against consumerism. What do you say to people living in a dirt shack who send their daughter to the city in order to assemble electronic goods? I don't want to live in dirt shack. There are things I could live without, and yet succumb to temptation and purchase. I don't know yet, but I'll look for it.
Final thoughts: What does the world system value? What do individuals value? What should be valued?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)