Few would argue that the world we live in is perfect, most might go so far as to contend that perfection on earth is an unattainable goal but the fact remains that our civilization will eventually collapse if we don't find a sustainable model by which to live. Religious, ethnic and cultural differences have, throughout recorded history, been used to justify the divisions which keep humanity from achieving meaningful peace. The truth is, we live on a planet of abundance and humanity has all of the necessary tools at our disposal to achieve well being for all of it's inhabitants. So what stands in the way?
The current trajectory of human evolution, to my eye at least, would suggest that we made a wrong turn somewhere, probably around Albuquerque; we relentlessly pollute our air and water, the very essentials of healthy life, we squander our resources in the name of consumer convenience and profits. Assuming you subscribe to the theory of evolution, the ability to manipulate and create from the natural world, the very thing which allowed such a frail species to survive and rise to such heights, seems likely to be our imminent undoing. If you don't agree, consider this, why do we need planes flying overhead spraying white chemical clouds? Nature finds equilibrium eventually, even if that means the extinction of the human race by it's own hand.
At this point you may be expecting me to monologue about what needs to be done and offer my solution, the problem is, I don't have one; yet... Epistemology: the search for the source of knowledge and, in turn, the quest for the very definition of truth, this is our starting point.
In the modern world, scientific method rules our search for truth, to over-simplify the process: hypothesize, test, repeat. "Evidentiary Truth" if you will, truth by the consensus of experts is all that we, as fallible humans, have in the absence of universal understanding. As our civilization gets increasingly complex, our reliance on these experts becomes ever more important as one discovery leads to the next.
Newton, seeming most humble said, "If I have seen further it's only because I have stood on the shoulders of giants", which begs the question, what if one of the revered giants was mistaken? Is there room in the modern age to question our current interpretation of scientific truth? The evidence of devastating conflicts, social deterioration and worldwide inequity would suggest that it's imperative we make an attempt to reconcile ourselves, to consider the bigger picture which has been revealed by all of the giants, both scientific and spiritual, throughout the ages.
This is the mission of and vision for The Norman Bethune Centre for the Study of Ethics and International Relations, to bring the foremost minds together in order to search for the commonality amongst us and reconcile our differences in all areas of human endeavor. It is well known that connections of influence exist between seemingly disparate facts or situations, connections which can only be detected by allowing ourselves to be truly dispassionate observers. This is the very concept which was at the heart of the lessons taught by those same ancient giants who we emulate, its time we climb down from our lofty perch to look deeper rather than farther.
The current trajectory of human evolution, to my eye at least, would suggest that we made a wrong turn somewhere, probably around Albuquerque; we relentlessly pollute our air and water, the very essentials of healthy life, we squander our resources in the name of consumer convenience and profits. Assuming you subscribe to the theory of evolution, the ability to manipulate and create from the natural world, the very thing which allowed such a frail species to survive and rise to such heights, seems likely to be our imminent undoing. If you don't agree, consider this, why do we need planes flying overhead spraying white chemical clouds? Nature finds equilibrium eventually, even if that means the extinction of the human race by it's own hand.
At this point you may be expecting me to monologue about what needs to be done and offer my solution, the problem is, I don't have one; yet... Epistemology: the search for the source of knowledge and, in turn, the quest for the very definition of truth, this is our starting point.
In the modern world, scientific method rules our search for truth, to over-simplify the process: hypothesize, test, repeat. "Evidentiary Truth" if you will, truth by the consensus of experts is all that we, as fallible humans, have in the absence of universal understanding. As our civilization gets increasingly complex, our reliance on these experts becomes ever more important as one discovery leads to the next.
Newton, seeming most humble said, "If I have seen further it's only because I have stood on the shoulders of giants", which begs the question, what if one of the revered giants was mistaken? Is there room in the modern age to question our current interpretation of scientific truth? The evidence of devastating conflicts, social deterioration and worldwide inequity would suggest that it's imperative we make an attempt to reconcile ourselves, to consider the bigger picture which has been revealed by all of the giants, both scientific and spiritual, throughout the ages.
This is the mission of and vision for The Norman Bethune Centre for the Study of Ethics and International Relations, to bring the foremost minds together in order to search for the commonality amongst us and reconcile our differences in all areas of human endeavor. It is well known that connections of influence exist between seemingly disparate facts or situations, connections which can only be detected by allowing ourselves to be truly dispassionate observers. This is the very concept which was at the heart of the lessons taught by those same ancient giants who we emulate, its time we climb down from our lofty perch to look deeper rather than farther.
Comments