We have taken a Wrong Turn

We have taken a wrong turn. We are accelerating away from Nature rather than towards Nature.

Everything begins with the philosophy of life which one holds, because it determines how one sees life and therefore acts accordingly.

The Machine Metaphor

Since the time of the Scientific Revolution in the 16th and 17th centuries the universe has been viewed as a machine which favoured the manipulation and exploitation of nature. Nature was seen as an object to be used for man’s utility and having no intrinsic value of its own. During this period there were a slew of discoveries which resulted in innovations like the steam engine, and which ultimately led to the Industrial Revolution 1.0. The fire essential to drive the engine of the Industrial Revolution was provided by Capitalism. Individuals would now act in their own self -interest as investors guided solely by the profit motive.

From Industry 1.0 to Industry 4.0 the machine metaphor for life and business has co-existed with remorseless competition. We are now looking at the possibility of man merging with machine and creating what will be known as the Singularity. Man and the universe will be seen purely as data which algorithms would process for decision making. The world of man and nature is metamorphosing into a gigantic machine. Physics has trumped biology. And Nature has been betrayed.

As E.O Wilson succinctly puts it “Civilisation has been purchased through the betrayal of nature.”

We have taken a wrong turn.

Break away from Nature

We have disregarded our deep human and spiritual roots in Nature. Why are our spirits lifted the moment we move out of a city and hit the thick growth of forest on either side of the road? Why do we feel tranquil while sitting on a beach looking at the vast ocean? Why do we search for God while meditating in the midst of Nature? Why do we feel that ineffable connect with lakes, rivers and seas? Why is there an inexplicable feeling of awe and warmth towards different species of animals as we visit them in a zoo or see what’s left of them in the wilderness? The natural world is deeply embedded within us. But we have ignored this reality and pauperized the Earth’s ecosystems. We have failed to realise that if we are to experience our full potential as human beings we need to acknowledge our humble origins within nature.

And because we have severed our relationship with nature we have run adrift and created an artificial culture which is non-sustainable for a human being to live in. Artificial intelligence. Artificial concrete habitats. Artificial foods. Sergey Brin co-founder of Google bankrolled the first artificial hamburger. This is part of the new Ag-tech movement to create artificial foods. We are creating a synthetic world not knowing what the unintended consequences will be like. Artificial plants. Artificial human robots who look like humans and simulate artificial emotions. We are living artificial lives in an artificial world. Being manipulated and conditioned in this bereft morass. And in this artificial cocoon which we have created, we are rapidly marginalising the natural biosphere. We are telling Nature that we do not need her. How can we live human lives in a non- human environment?

Racing to Destruction

Simultaneously we have created a civilisation based on the values of Speed, Convenience, Entertainment in the form of thrills and novelty, and Extreme Individualism reflected in ruthless competition and self-centredness seen not only in individuals but also among nations. We are hastening humanity’s detrimental impact on Nature through our rapacious desire for convenience. We have extricated, exploited and very nearly exterminated nature. Made nature a part of the supply chain as a resource which is assumed to be never ending. And externalised all the painful costs involved in this exploitation. For instance not accounting for the cost of the destruction of a forest or the annihilation of a species of fish through overfishing and so on. Or not accounting for the cost of the depletion of services provided by nature in all its abundance. Like the reduced number of bees in the pollination of plants or the decrease in the number of the little insects needed in the renewal of the soil. We hardly understand the biology of nature. And what we do not understand we tend to destroy.

Biology of Life

We need to regain our humanity by retracing our steps. We need to choose the trajectory of biology as our road to recovery. By biology one means the study of flora and fauna. We need to see life and business as a living organism working with Nature rather than against it. The Biology of life needs to become the centrepiece of education rather than the hard sciences of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. We need to create a passion among people especially the young to understand, appreciate and sustain Nature and fulfill life. The fires of Siberia, California, Australia and elsewhere need to be doused. The floods, heat and cold waves need to be subdued. We need to live in harmony with Nature.

As Teilhard de Chardin, the palaeontologist said “We are collaborators in creation”.

When we see a blade of grass growing within the crevice of paver blocks on a footpath it makes one feel that Nature has not given up on us. Nature is willing to forgive us if only we give her a chance to restore the balance we need to live as human beings and not as machines.