Resisting Despair

In a recent opinion piece over at the Chronicle, Pascal Bruckner argues for ecologism (a sort of conservation-minded ideology) as the new hairshirt for the world. Tales of ecological collapse—driven by humans and their desires—evoke a guilt as heavy and unavoidable as original sin.

We, those affected by such dolor, need to get a grip. We need to shake off our despair and embrace progress. Bruckner rallies around this call:

A race has begun between the forces of despair and those of human ingenuity. In other words, the remedy is found in the disease, in the despised industrial civilization, the frightening science, the endless crisis, the globalization that exceeds our grasp: Only an increase in research, an explosion of creativity, or an unprecedented technological advance will be able to save us. We have to try to push back the boundaries of the possible by encouraging the most fantastic initiatives, the most mind-boggling ideas. We have to transform the increasing scarcity of resources into a wealth of inventions.

Shame! And get a sweater.

 

As well as this final flourish: “Above all, we have to save the world from its self-proclaimed saviors, who brandish the threat of great chaos in order to impose their lethal impulses.”

The piece left me thinking that maybe an American raised outside of Catholicism doesn’t feel the weight of guilt drag so heavily. Or maybe it’s that I don’t mind taking short showers and wearing sweaters. Or it may be that I don’t participate enough in the mainstream of my culture and so the messages he resists are muted for me. And, really, “lethal impulses”?

I’ll say this, though, bootstrapping isn’t the answer. Our ability to leverage our technology seems suspect at best (I’ll just reach back to Alfred Nobel to get the ball rolling). However, I agree that “What is at stake is the pleasure of living together on this planet that will survive us, whatever we do to it.” And we certainly need “trailblazers and stimulators” to insure that survival. But there’s a balance to be found, and the search for that balance is not served well by Bruckner.

Oh, and the comments are lively!

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