September 2021 Archiv

2. Do you think that there is any sense in saving the world?

The arrogance of the question is stupendous.

We have evidently become capable of destroying the human world, and a very large part of the natural world; we may have become capable also of not destroying the world, if we are careful, thoughtful, and lucky; but I see no evidence of any kind that humanity is capable of saving the world, or has any right to presume to do so. The presumption is that of the Judaeo-Christian-White-Male tradition of Man Against/Above Everything Else (women, animals, inanimate nature, etc.) and I reject it categorically. It is far more likely that the world will in the end "save" and use us, than that we will save it or even use it well.

The way in which human beings can "save" the world is, of course, through thought and writing; history, narration of all kinds, description, science, poetry, painting, music. In such actions we catch and save a bit of our world to pass along to other people &/or other times, as a farmer "saves" the seed corn for the next planting.

Ursula K. Le Guin via @loparater