Terry, List, That's a very dark picture you've painted, Terry. And I believe it's the case. We need to be doing more of both: (1) rebelling against the governments, corporations, and institutions which have contributed to, if they haven't actually brought about, the looming climate and economic disasters, and, (2) learning to cope with the changes which are already upon us and which are sure to increase dramatically in the months and years to come. Thanks for posting links to the XRA and DA sites which I've looked at briefly, but will explore in more fully asap. Extinction Rebellion America (XRA) <https://xramerica.org/> and Deep Adaptation Forum (DA) <https://www.deepadaptation.info/>.
In the USA it seems to me not at all implausible that the pandemic, killing many and incapacitating many more, driving up unemployment, poverty, and homelessness, provoking anger and violence, could lead to a breakdown of basic needs with major disruptions of the food chain, the water supply the power grid, etc. (NYC, where I live, is in many respects a very old city with an infrastructure always on the verge of collapsing--it wouldn't take much to push it over the brink) as well as rampant crime brought about by economic (and other) desperation. Those of us who feel relatively comfortable and secure now may not feel that way in a briefer period of time than I'd even want to contemplate. You wrote: "Without Peirce, I couldn’t have grasped them ['the truths and realities of our times'] with understanding, without XRA and DA I wouldn’t have the pragmatic wisdom to know what I must do in light of them." Would you comment on both of these a bit further: (a) What in Peirce helped you fully grasp our alarming contemporary situation? (b) What is the character of the "pragmatic wisdom" that you've brought to bear on them? Of course the answer to the second is something I might myself understand when I explore the work of XRA and DA more fully. Best, Gary R "Time is not a renewable resource." gnox *Gary Richmond* *Philosophy and Critical Thinking* *Communication Studies* *LaGuardia College of the City University of New York* On Tue, Jul 7, 2020 at 11:37 AM Terry L Rankin <rankin.te...@hotmail.com> wrote: > Gary R., list …. > > > > I spent the last half-decade researching the root causes of “the problem” > – i.e., the anthropogenic sixth mass extinction we’ve wrought upon > ourselves and its climate, ecosystem, and other manifest catastrophes. The > overwhelming consensus among members of the scientismic community these > days is we’ve already run out of time: it’s no longer rational to hope > we’ll avoid systemic and institutional societal and cultural crises and > collapse. The pressing question remaining is how severe and total the > extinction event will actually turn out to be. > > > > Following those studies, my action has been to work through two movements > to awaken others to this truth and reality and to help guide them in any > way I can to cope and adapt to this dawning of a new Dark Age. Especially > here in USAmerica, denial and defiance are rampant – acute and chronic > semiotic symptoms of a rising rage of grief, as seen in the numerous > protests around the world against climate and racial injustice. The two > groups with whom I work most closely are Extinction Rebellion America > (XRA) <https://xramerica.org/> and Deep Adaptation Forum (DA) > <https://www.deepadaptation.info/>. > > > > As their names suggest, one is mainly about outgoing activism (XRA) while > the other is primarily about personal coping with the incontrovertibly > ominous truths and realities of our times. Without Peirce, I couldn’t have > grasped them with understanding, without XRA and DA I wouldn’t have the > pragmatic wisdom to know what I must do in light of them. > > > > Terry > > > > *From:* Gary Richmond <gary.richm...@gmail.com> > *Sent:* Monday, July 6, 2020 6:35 PM > *To:* Peirce-L <peirce-l@list.iupui.edu> > *Subject:* Re: [PEIRCE-L] The Pragmatic Trivium > > > > Gary f, List, > > > > Gary, thanks for posting this. I just read the second review of the recent > book by Bregman which you linked to. > https://www.resilience.org/stories/2020-06-26/rob-hopkins-reviews-human-kind > <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.resilience.org%2Fstories%2F2020-06-26%2Frob-hopkins-reviews-human-kind&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccfc85fba87c84ae4463808d821fcf13a%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637296717542895849&sdata=b13c5Wg4AS5O%2BifoTHDijgV0BiLfH2w7rIF3mND3avk%3D&reserved=0> > > -a-hopeful-history-by-rutger-bregman/ > > I immediately posted the link and an excerpt from it to my FB page > (perhaps there's some irony there). I'll have more to say about a > connection to 'feeling' in Peirce's thought hopefully, later this week. > > > > The excerpt I posted to FB is the conclusion of the review: > > > > The years of rampant neoliberalism, austerity and the economics of > ‘dog-eat-dog’ were underpinned by core texts such as Richard Dawkins’ ‘The > Selfish Gene’ that argued that deep in our fundamental make-up we are > programmed for selfishness. It is my strong hope that this book has arrived > at absolutely the right time, to underpin a new world view based on belief > in the fundamental goodness and integrity of other people. Indeed we > already see it emerging in what Corinna Burkhart, Nina Treu and Matthias > Schmelzer call the ‘mosaic of alternatives’, co-ops, P2P projects, Doughnut > Economics, Transition initiatives, Black Lives Matter, and the whole > tapestry of great projects rising up around the world, all rooted in a > fundamental belief that the problems in the world lie not in people, but > rather in the power structures and institutions that we have allowed to be > created. > > > > I might add to the list above, *CommunitySense*, an international > consulting firm created by my good friend and colleague, Aldo de Moor. It > works to build collaborative common ground between stakeholders in > communities, organizations, and networks. A few *CommunitySense* projects > can be found here: https://makingcommunitysense.net/category/projects/ > <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmakingcommunitysense.net%2Fcategory%2Fprojects%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccfc85fba87c84ae4463808d821fcf13a%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637296717542905838&sdata=WYFku4v0%2BDuYIzcALaYURhdEi1xXa%2Bjd%2BzKKiu0s6fw%3D&reserved=0> > > > > But, besides the optimism expressed in the book, the review, and in such > private and public organizations such as *Transition initiatives *and > *BLM*, it's also important to seriously consider that major obstacle -- > the amassment of great wealth and power by the few -- outlined in this > passage in Hopkin's review commenting on what Bregman sees as the > fundamental *problem*: > > > > The problem, where we go wrong, he argues, is power. Power often acts, in > people who have it, like brain damage. “Not only are they more impulsive, > self-centred, reckless, arrogant and rude than average, they are also more > likely to cheat on their spouses, are less attentive to other people and > less interested in others’ perspectives”, he writes. “Power”, he adds, > “appears to work like an anaesthetic that makes you insensate to other > people”. In indigenous cultures or nomadic people he argues, such behaviour > would not be tolerated, but we have managed to create a culture which > rewards and celebrates it. Starting with the concept of owning, and buying > and selling land, he argues that we started to be led down a path towards a > mistaken model of human nature. > > > > It could be argued that Peirce himself saw this as a growing problem in > his own era, sometimes in dealing with these putative 'masters of the > universe' in his own initiatives, educational and otherwise, sometimes in > society more generally. In any case, it's a really, really, REALLY big > problem today because of, for example, the extraordinary power of certain > global corporations or, taking a world-historic view, the almost limitless > power of even a single person, a dictator or other tyrant, to undermine the > stability of not only the country he rules, but that of others, to bring > about wars and genocides, to keep entire populations 'under foot' while the > few -- the infamous 1% in the USA, the oligarchs in Russia -- increase > their vast wealth and power, attempt to (or actually do) control > institutions and organizations, business and commerce, the media, > transportation, etc.; and, yes, the government. > > > > In the USA *the problem* began not only with "owning, and buying and > selling land," but in "owning, and buying and selling people." Many of the > 'fathers of the nation', including Washington and Jefferson, were slave > owners, and the contradiction of their soaring rhetoric in such documents > as the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the USA, > contrasted with the fact that the new nation enslaved millions of human > beings, finally erupting in a bloody civil war. No news there. Except we're > still living the consequences of their 'original sin'. > > > > On this year's Independence Day, I watched the film version of Lin-Manuel > Miranda's extraordinary musical, *Hamilton*. I have a feeling that the > reason this piece of theater became a smash hit was because it exposes a > great deal of that "Founding Father" hypocrisy (no, these weren't just 'men > of their times' as there were many contemporary abolitionists as well, > Hamilton being one of them). The Black Lives Matter movement has gained > steam because that sordid history is finally being revealed (I never heard > of it in public school), both recent (e.g., the murder of George Floyd and > others) and past (e.g., the hundreds of lynchings during the Jim Crow era). > It is finally getting the attention it didn't get even during the US Civil > Rights Movement of the '60's. > > > > In a word: radically changing the institutional > economic-political-judicial structure of this country given its entrenched > interpenetrating power bases seems almost an impossible challenge. But > those of us who wish to create "a more perfect Union" (Lincoln) have no > choice but to work to try to save, then further develop, our democracy > which is now under extreme assault from within and without. > > > > And yet, I share with Bregman that "belief in the fundamental goodness > and integrity of other people." We in New York City who truly suffered > some of the early horrors of the coronavirus pandemic (and I know it first > hand as James and I have lost people to Covid-19), go out each evening at > 7:00 pm, and clap our hands and bang our pots and pans to show appreciation > for those many selfless souls, true heroes, who were and are on the front > lines saving lives, keeping food in our mouths, and in all sorts of ways > showing that *they*, and not the fabulously wealthy and powerful of Wall > Street and NYC, were and are the truly essential workers. I hope we as a > country won't forget that. Clapping at 7:00 (which James and I always do > because we understand that it *is *appreciated and lifts many of these > essential workers while contributing to our sense of community), banging > pots and leaving bigger tips is not enough. In most cases we will have to > pay these essential workers much more (many make less than a 'living > wage'), make it possible for them to have good healthcare, housing, etc. > > > > While there's scarce little Peirce in what I've just written, I do think > that there is potential for a lively discussion regarding the essential > part feeling plays in the "social principle" in which not only logic is > rooted. Indeed, Peirce's reflections on feeling may yet have something of > value to contribute to the further development of that "new world view > based on belief in the fundamental goodness and integrity of other people." > > > > Best, > > > > Gary R > > > > PS I have Bcc'd this post to a few friends and colleagues who might find > it of interest. > > > > > > > "Time is not a renewable resource." gnox > > > > *Gary Richmond* > > *Philosophy and Critical Thinking* > > *Communication Studies* > > *LaGuardia College of the City University of New York* > > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Jul 5, 2020 at 4:58 PM <g...@gnusystems.ca> wrote: > > Gary, list, > > Henry’s remarks raise a perennial question: assuming that national or > global shifts in political ideology are symptomatic of a shift in social > consciousness, what is the nature of that shift? One suggestion is that > people generally don’t trust other people as much as they used to > (especially when those people are visibly or culturally Other). On social > media, for instance, people only trust their “friends” who inhabit the same > echo chamber. > > Underlying this cultural shift which is tearing apart the fabric of > community life is, perhaps, a vague fear that human nature itself is > basically greedy, selfish, etc. — so why trust anybody you don’t know and > trust already? > > A recent book by Rutger Bregman — Human kind: A Hopeful History — has > attracted a lot of attention lately because it gives plenty of historical > evidence that human nature is basically good, i.e. helpful to other people. > (This implies, I suppose, that the sources of social corruption are mostly > either unintended consequences of historical developments such as > colonialism, or are deliberate campaigns to increase social inequities for > the benefit of some small but powerful minority.) I haven’t read the book > myself, but seen in the past week two very appreciative reviews of it. One > was in Science, and the other, by Rob Hopkins, is here: > > https://www.resilience.org/stories/2020-06-26/rob-hopkins-reviews-human-kind > -a-hopeful-history-by-rutger-bregman/ > <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.resilience.org%2Fstories%2F2020-06-26%2Frob-hopkins-reviews-human-kind-a-hopeful-history-by-rutger-bregman%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccfc85fba87c84ae4463808d821fcf13a%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637296717542915836&sdata=Gy8khQLG27IHAUKqJfDXcYUbh9GnqiAO8P2jhCrFfdc%3D&reserved=0>. > That one is not behind a paywall and > represents the views of a leader in the Transition movement. > > Our deep sentiments about human nature are certainly feelings, in Peirce’s > sense of the word in his writings about esthetics. That’s the (intended) > connection between this post and my post yesterday about the primacy of > esthetics in the Pragmatic Trivium. > > Gary f. > > > > } The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure > and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self. > [Einstein] { > > <http://gnusystems.ca/wp/ > <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgnusystems.ca%2Fwp%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccfc85fba87c84ae4463808d821fcf13a%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637296717542925827&sdata=Q2lT7Ec3WU9tllp2K5JImJHVAyyy%2FuemdiFzaChOS9E%3D&reserved=0>> > http://gnusystems.ca/wp/ > <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgnusystems.ca%2Fwp%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccfc85fba87c84ae4463808d821fcf13a%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637296717542935823&sdata=s2yId4OL9urZep8pqjRFRqjMJTVzvaz%2F2es%2Fx2F4GhM%3D&reserved=0> > }{ living the > transition > > > > From: Gary Richmond <gary.richm...@gmail.com> > Sent: 5-Jul-20 15:03 > To: Peirce-L <peirce-l@list.iupui.edu> > Subject: Re: Re: RE: RE: RE: [PEIRCE-L] The Pragmatic Trivium > > > > List, > > Whoops. I was just informed that I left off the Kyle Henry quote. Sorry > about that. Here it is: > > Kyle Henry: Extremist Libertarianism, ascendant from the Reagan revolution > onward, has been so corrosive in the USA to community and civic life. What > would have happened in the USA if Utilitarianism instead would have won out > ideologically in 1980? Reading my notes on J.S. Mill's "Utilitarianism" > this > morning, this stood out: "Not only does all strengthening of social ties, > and all healthy growth of society, give to each individual a stronger > personal interest in practically consulting the welfare of others; it also > leads him to identify his feelings more and more with their good, or at > least with an even greater degree of practical consideration for it... The > good of others becomes to him a thing naturally and necessarily to be > attended to, like any of the physical conditions of our existence. Now, > whatever amount of this feeling a person has, he is urged by the strongest > motives both of interest and of sympathy to demonstrate it, and to the > utmost of his power encourage it in others; and even if he has none of it > himself, he is as greatly interested as any one elase that others should > have it... This mode of conceiving ourselves and human life, as > civilization > goes on, is felt to be more and more natural." > > >
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