Dear I see your work and that of Zachary Stein and other co-authors, as a kind of synthesis between both the Big History systems approach , and the attempts by de Chardin and Aurobindo to add spiritual and consciousness evolution to the epic of physical evolution, the former being part of the process of the latter. I am also finished reading it and really appreicate the vision and attempt. If you would consider send me a guest editorial, I can write a short intro to it and republicize it.
As we near the late-stage capitalism insanity within the war stage of climate crisis-induced collapse, we could posit that it simply fits the civilisational cycles of birth, death and rebirth as found in this repository of models (ref YouTube: John David Ebert on Cultural Immune Systems), we might need to update the model to include the unknown outlying factors that include widespread and near complete planetary biological die-out along from hyper heating.
This extinction possibility would erase or interrupt the cyclical aspect of the civilisation cycle model such that birth doesn't happen anymore after the downfall and death. ie : even with the return of barbarian chaos that follows civilisation disintegration, civilisation Birth won't find favourable enough conditions and barbarianism would be the final flickering of the civilisational light.
In this final chapter of human civilisation overview, there might be some techno-survivalist societal structures that succeed somehow to survive the barbarian stage (some may even come out of the barbarian phase) and be capable to continue to exist inside the mass-extinction and hyper-heating that ends the barbarian evolution before the usual reflourishing of a civilisation stage. These techno-escapee mini-societies in the form of walled and domed cities, troglodyte complexes, mountain redoute towns or hamlets or even nomadic mobile community machines, probably will be attempted by nation states, cities, towns, tribes, families, religious cults, sports teams, corporations, billionaires, entrepreneurs or cooperatives.
Whatever the organising principle, in this climate end-game scenario of hyper-heated mass extinction, the human species (as well as other selected and cultivated, and opportunistic species) hangs on past the extinction event-horizon in the various forms mentioned and constitute a final category we could call : Neo Noah Arch's.
But the real reason for responding to this post is to ask you if you would be interested in working together on booting-up an actual project of civilisational transformation planning committee for a Ministry, Office or Department that is anchored in the knowledge structure you have curated but will attempt to escape it before the falling into the disintegration and barbarian phases? Similar to the previously described anti-revolutionary british method of bifurcating and turning round an obsolete civilisation model to incorporate it even if it is a seemingly useless throwback appendage ie feudalism to democracy : the House of Lords, or our senate, this reboot would attempt to maintain the useful parts of present civilisation, discard unusable ones and create brand new parts as needed.
The theory is more reformational but might have to be extremely radical and could even resemble or indeed come from ... a revolution if consensus in the research and governing structures of the body tasked with the job so decides. The body would be a big, university-like constitutional convention. Or a United Nations - like coordinating body. Or on a national level where it might have the most chance of successful implementation, it would look like a great "citizen's assembly" as previously promoted by Extinction Rebellion.
It could have a nationally authorised mandate. It could resemble something like "Les Etats Generaux de la Societié, de l'Environment et de l'Avenir de la Belgique" (General Assembly on Society, the Environment and the Future of Belgium).
As time is of the essence, this sort of effort, in my opinion, ought to go for it even as it is being constituted. That is, it should be working on its own promotion simultaneous to its initial constitution, theorizing, research, collation, recommendations and lobbying. In this way it will randomly (synchronistically!) attract tangential movements, structures and associations that will help make It (crucially the "idea" of It) a thing. There is little danger, in my opinion, to being insufficiently prepared and previously developed. It'll seem like a movement and/or ideal and be attacked in any case.
As long as the "central bureau", the nucleus remains protected within the cell, the vagaries of infections and immune responses will be normal features of the societal integration and adaptation of the outcoming principles and original idea. This could be characterized by - drasticly novel biospheric conditions compel human society to fundamentally transform itself in an unusually abrupt and short time frame for which it is as yet un-prepared but for which it has the necessary conditions of peace, wealth, education, developed infrastructure, industry, economy, society, and organised accepted and functional democratic political system of government and administration.
That is to say that we are at an apex point before inflection where the Goldilocks time-space for transformation is soon to tip into the slope of disintegration where peaceful and voluntary societal transformation is unlikely or even impossible. If this position is correct, now is the time to act and there will not be any second chances.
Therefore, its time to announce the Age of Aquarius or NEA, NewEuropeanAge or we can use BAM my nomenclature for what I'm working on : Belgian Antropocene Masterplan. Whatever comes to the fore, is less important than getting started. Officially. I put out my hand to you Michel and I offer it to ALL. Shall we begin a General Assembly on Society, the Environment and the Future of Belgium ? peace and love, Bud
Thanks for this long comment, and indeed, we have to be open-minded for radical ruptures in any scenario; in both directions by the way, since we have the example of the Roman Empire rebooting itself for another 2 centuries after a first near collapse phase; in my own narrative, I am taking into account the possibility of a substantial dark age scenario as well. I am open to any proposals in the sense that you propose. Right now I am on the road, we can speak later and connect privately.
Hi Michael. This is quite the inquiry. I discuss a new view of cultural evolution, in the past, present, and the future, in the biosphere, physiosphere, and at the level of human self-reflective mind here in my newly released book, First Principles and First Values. Please feel free to pick up a copy at Amazon: https://bit.ly/4aqnaHV or get the first 5 chapter for FREE at our Center for World Philosophy and Religion site https://worldphilosophyandreligion.org/free-download-chapter-1-5-of-first-principles-and-first-values/ . I welcome feedback or reflections on these NEW ideas. You can check out the launch party at this substack posts: https://open.substack.com/pub/marcgafni/p/391-why-first-principles-and-first?r=26b8nn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Be a Hero. Please read through and offer your reflections.
Dear I see your work and that of Zachary Stein and other co-authors, as a kind of synthesis between both the Big History systems approach , and the attempts by de Chardin and Aurobindo to add spiritual and consciousness evolution to the epic of physical evolution, the former being part of the process of the latter. I am also finished reading it and really appreicate the vision and attempt. If you would consider send me a guest editorial, I can write a short intro to it and republicize it.
As we near the late-stage capitalism insanity within the war stage of climate crisis-induced collapse, we could posit that it simply fits the civilisational cycles of birth, death and rebirth as found in this repository of models (ref YouTube: John David Ebert on Cultural Immune Systems), we might need to update the model to include the unknown outlying factors that include widespread and near complete planetary biological die-out along from hyper heating.
This extinction possibility would erase or interrupt the cyclical aspect of the civilisation cycle model such that birth doesn't happen anymore after the downfall and death. ie : even with the return of barbarian chaos that follows civilisation disintegration, civilisation Birth won't find favourable enough conditions and barbarianism would be the final flickering of the civilisational light.
In this final chapter of human civilisation overview, there might be some techno-survivalist societal structures that succeed somehow to survive the barbarian stage (some may even come out of the barbarian phase) and be capable to continue to exist inside the mass-extinction and hyper-heating that ends the barbarian evolution before the usual reflourishing of a civilisation stage. These techno-escapee mini-societies in the form of walled and domed cities, troglodyte complexes, mountain redoute towns or hamlets or even nomadic mobile community machines, probably will be attempted by nation states, cities, towns, tribes, families, religious cults, sports teams, corporations, billionaires, entrepreneurs or cooperatives.
Whatever the organising principle, in this climate end-game scenario of hyper-heated mass extinction, the human species (as well as other selected and cultivated, and opportunistic species) hangs on past the extinction event-horizon in the various forms mentioned and constitute a final category we could call : Neo Noah Arch's.
But the real reason for responding to this post is to ask you if you would be interested in working together on booting-up an actual project of civilisational transformation planning committee for a Ministry, Office or Department that is anchored in the knowledge structure you have curated but will attempt to escape it before the falling into the disintegration and barbarian phases? Similar to the previously described anti-revolutionary british method of bifurcating and turning round an obsolete civilisation model to incorporate it even if it is a seemingly useless throwback appendage ie feudalism to democracy : the House of Lords, or our senate, this reboot would attempt to maintain the useful parts of present civilisation, discard unusable ones and create brand new parts as needed.
The theory is more reformational but might have to be extremely radical and could even resemble or indeed come from ... a revolution if consensus in the research and governing structures of the body tasked with the job so decides. The body would be a big, university-like constitutional convention. Or a United Nations - like coordinating body. Or on a national level where it might have the most chance of successful implementation, it would look like a great "citizen's assembly" as previously promoted by Extinction Rebellion.
It could have a nationally authorised mandate. It could resemble something like "Les Etats Generaux de la Societié, de l'Environment et de l'Avenir de la Belgique" (General Assembly on Society, the Environment and the Future of Belgium).
As time is of the essence, this sort of effort, in my opinion, ought to go for it even as it is being constituted. That is, it should be working on its own promotion simultaneous to its initial constitution, theorizing, research, collation, recommendations and lobbying. In this way it will randomly (synchronistically!) attract tangential movements, structures and associations that will help make It (crucially the "idea" of It) a thing. There is little danger, in my opinion, to being insufficiently prepared and previously developed. It'll seem like a movement and/or ideal and be attacked in any case.
As long as the "central bureau", the nucleus remains protected within the cell, the vagaries of infections and immune responses will be normal features of the societal integration and adaptation of the outcoming principles and original idea. This could be characterized by - drasticly novel biospheric conditions compel human society to fundamentally transform itself in an unusually abrupt and short time frame for which it is as yet un-prepared but for which it has the necessary conditions of peace, wealth, education, developed infrastructure, industry, economy, society, and organised accepted and functional democratic political system of government and administration.
That is to say that we are at an apex point before inflection where the Goldilocks time-space for transformation is soon to tip into the slope of disintegration where peaceful and voluntary societal transformation is unlikely or even impossible. If this position is correct, now is the time to act and there will not be any second chances.
Therefore, its time to announce the Age of Aquarius or NEA, NewEuropeanAge or we can use BAM my nomenclature for what I'm working on : Belgian Antropocene Masterplan. Whatever comes to the fore, is less important than getting started. Officially. I put out my hand to you Michel and I offer it to ALL. Shall we begin a General Assembly on Society, the Environment and the Future of Belgium ? peace and love, Bud
Thanks for this long comment, and indeed, we have to be open-minded for radical ruptures in any scenario; in both directions by the way, since we have the example of the Roman Empire rebooting itself for another 2 centuries after a first near collapse phase; in my own narrative, I am taking into account the possibility of a substantial dark age scenario as well. I am open to any proposals in the sense that you propose. Right now I am on the road, we can speak later and connect privately.