http://humanism.ws/featured/living-on-the-ice-shelf-humanitys-melt-down/ Humanism as a visionary philosophy Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:52:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://humanism.ws/featured/living-on-the-ice-shelf-humanitys-melt-down/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Andrew Wilson Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:48:14 +0000 http://man.org/?p=34#comment-10 A great article though totally depressing. I heard an Angilcan priest talking on the radio about a conversation with an African Bishop who asserted that the people of Africa do not have "a concern for the common good" in their make-up and that it was this that had, for instance, led to their their being able to trade each other as slaves both before and to the European slave trade. I suspect that the inability to co-operate to the common good is much more universal and until we understand ourselves at such a level and approach each other in our dealings at all levels from international climate negotiations to conversations between two people, little progress will be achieved. It seems to me that this inward looking exploration of ourselves is the task of Humanism in the 21st century. Otherwise I fear that the recent tragedy in Burma will be repeated on a more massive scale in places like Bangladesh. You talk about flood driven exodus, but perhaps a single flood of epic proportions or similar disaster, as looks ever more likely, will simply kill large swathes of the slum populations you refer to. Appalling as this will be, it will only temporarily alleviate the pressures you so clearly delineate. My psychological agenda for realigning our goals as humans may seem airy fairy alongside the harsh realities you describe but perhaps it is just what is missing... A great article though totally depressing. I heard an Angilcan priest talking on the radio about a conversation with an African Bishop who asserted that the people of Africa do not have “a concern for the common good” in their make-up and that it was this that had, for instance, led to their their being able to trade each other as slaves both before and to the European slave trade. I suspect that the inability to co-operate to the common good is much more universal and until we understand ourselves at such a level and approach each other in our dealings at all levels from international climate negotiations to conversations between two people, little progress will be achieved. It seems to me that this inward looking exploration of ourselves is the task of Humanism in the 21st century. Otherwise I fear that the recent tragedy in Burma will be repeated on a more massive scale in places like Bangladesh. You talk about flood driven exodus, but perhaps a single flood of epic proportions or similar disaster, as looks ever more likely, will simply kill large swathes of the slum populations you refer to. Appalling as this will be, it will only temporarily alleviate the pressures you so clearly delineate.
My psychological agenda for realigning our goals as humans may seem airy fairy alongside the harsh realities you describe but perhaps it is just what is missing…

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