Most people will agree we live in a rapidly changing world. In fact change is the only constant since life on the planet began some 4 million years ago, when her inhabitants evolved from a mixture of dust and gas. Those early environments were different from today, so harsh man could not exist, at least not on earth and in a physical form which resembles now.
It is incredible to think all life exists to exist, in what could be called a state of ‘chronic’ change. From the human perspective, existentialism is a philosophical movement which relishes this distinctive feature of our being, from our simple everyday existence, to the complexities which define life and evolution over time. Enormous, gigantic lengths of time divided and conquered by small steps and great strides, all of which have gravitated toward this single defining moment. Incredible, it seems.
Human-beings easily lose sight of this ‘mere’ existence, a premise that has led man to the point where he finds himself at odds with nature and the world. Homo sapiens (literally, wise man) has steered life on planet earth down the road to extinction. There is a critical distinction between us and other life forms which is now very apparent; Economic Man is the biggest contributor to environmental change on the planet (with the exception of the sun).
Strict adherence to certain rituals and practices have changed our existence to the point where our actions do more harm than good to our beneficiaries, and the desire for consumption seems to be greater than our environment can supply. This is a fact which can be borne out in the enactment of existence.
For a profitable existence, the action of the beneficiary is less than, or, equal to the energy expended in the process of its existence –
Ex = P (e ≤ exp)
Naturally, no existence can be achieved without paying some form of price – the amount of energy expended. If the exchange is not equal or balanced, or specifically, if the energy consumed is stronger than inflow, a breakdown occurs. Economic Man is in danger of bankrupting himself and his environment.
LONG LIVE MANKIND!
‘The archetype is not just an inactive form, but a real force charged with a specific energy’
C.G. Jung
In an existentialist world our energy needs are expressed by our psyche; today we rely on oil, tomorrow the sun. But as we enter the Solar Age, it is absurd to think of existence solely as a means for human profit (eg. money is how we keep score, but ignores the adverse cost to humanity and environment).
‘If society demands a rewriting of the contract, society has the power to rewrite it unilaterally.’
Norman E. Bowie
