Safe from Saving.

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

(M)Erde.

 

Wir sind am Arsch.

Carolin Kebekus feat. Luisa Neubauer: Mars Song

Gute Frage.

Denn fängt man eimal an zu fragen,

dann hören die Fragen niemals mehr auf.

Jan Böhmermann: Warum hört der Fahrradweg einfach hier auf?

And how many are there?

“What is a number, Mr. Waterhouse?” Daniel groaned. “How can you ask such questions?” “How can you not ask them, sir? You are a philosopher, are you not?”

Neal Stephenson: Quicksilver

Literelative.

“I know my father only by having read the books that he read.”

Neal Stephenson: Quicksilver