ASEBL Journal – Volume 10 Issue 1, January 2014
7. Modernity and convergence.
For all these reasons, I would include the outlooks of science, enterprise, law and
integration among the watery virtues accompanying the convergent mindset – these
modern virtues are analogous to water’s transformative powers, if you like. When
gazing upon the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, I always resolve to achieve more
scientific understanding, endeavour and co-operation in my activities, not less; to
redouble my efforts to make the most of my fleeting moment, using the best resources
available to me, both human and non-human.
Indeed, even when it comes to the question of why modern life estranges us from
nature, Cooper’s perspectivism gets things back to front: the non-convergent aspects
of the modern mindset are typically caused not by an excess but a lack of objectivity.
For one thing, many of the products churned out by modern economies have the effect
of screening us from, rather than attuning us to, reality. This can be seen in the
narcotic, happiness-faking properties of many of our modern interests, including the
impoverishing virt ual realities encountered in computer games, gambling, TV, films,
drugs, iPods, smart phones, and social networking websites. Other less obvious
examples include shrink-wrapped foods which bear no relation to their origins, the
distorting effects of media and political sensationalism, or banks that promise to lend
us out of a predicament which really needs a dose of realism. Modern consumerism
even insinuates an element of phoniness into the way we relate to one another;
whether through fashionable garments and accessories, conspicuous consumption or a
sneering comportment, we prioritise appearances over deep mutual understanding.
The environmental rapaciousness of modern industry is, likewise, based on a dearth
rather than an excess of objectivity. If one truly understands nature, one appreciates
the inescapable ecological fact that an ability to extract resources is simultaneously a
mark of dependence. When businesses ransack renewable resources at a nonrenewable rate, or pollute local ecosystems, they are not looking nature in the eye but
turning a blind eye to the self-harming “externalities” of their actions. The notion of
cutting and running – profiting then leaving others to sort out environmental problems
– is similarly an idealisation. In the interconnected modern world, businesses are
likely, sooner or later, to suffer the consequences of their damaging actions, whether
directly through liability for expensive clean-up costs (prevention is usually cheaper
than cure), or indirectly through government liability leading to higher taxes. Finally,
even in the absence of concrete consequences, unethical behaviour in relation to the
environment is lacking in objectivity insofar as such conduct downplays external
moral imperatives.
8. Objectivity, environmentalism and collective action.
The foregoing examples illustrate how closely objectivity, enterprise, law and
integration are connected. As humanity’s ability to manipulate nature has advanced,
this has become an increasingly collective pursuit requiring governance. Laws, in
essence, solve “tragedies of the commons” – those “collective action” problems
wherein individuals seek advantages but the population as a whole suffers much
worse consequences. Through proper regulation, groups of individuals can be freed up
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