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Cosby

05-03-2006, 09:46 AM

I feel that it is only appropriate to begin with discussion of the one who brought many of the topics in this paper to light for the first time in 1962; Rachel Carlson. While there were those that preceded Carlson (Thoreau, Marsh, Muir, etc.), she was the first to bring ecological issues to light as problems and in turn errors in the collective beliefs, actions and ideology of industrialized nations (Waddell).
Our neglect for the environment is not the only shortcoming of neocapitalist society. Additionally, society has placed the blame on individuals alone for the shortcomings, values have been misplaced, the meanings of important concepts like risk have been distorted to support industry and actions still have not changed for the betterment of the environment and sustainability of the human race (Winner, Dobson).
Carlson’s book alerted the public to a major pollutant and effectively changed their beliefs. However, to this day actions have failed to change to reflect the beliefs of a supposed majority of people (Dobson). While most people consider themselves advocates of the environment, they are not willing to forego those things which the predominant ideology in society has placed value. Beliefs have been changed but people are still performing the same actions and consumption patterns which contradict their beliefs.
What could cause society to act in this manner? We consider human beings to be the dominant species on the planet not because we are particularly strong or well-adapted to our environment but because as it was said in Genesis 1 of the bible, we have the reason and right to “fill and subdue” our planet. “Fill and subdue” is an interesting phrase because upon initial exposure to it you would think it means to procreate and use the resources of the Earth to provide comfortable lifestyles for ourselves. However, the original Hebrew text translates to “study and understand.” That is quite a big difference; a difference that reflects the current paradigm. While we should take the time to study how things work, the time to learn and better ourselves and the time to better the lives of others, we instead cater to those that can afford to sacrifice the most.
We think this way primarily because corruption exists. The most corrupted ideas pertain to concepts of which we are not even aware exist. Our ideology for instance, is one which says those that suffer deserve the least because their misfortune is their own doing and our politics say that the economy (greed in its purest form) is our primary concern. Each corrupted portion of our society has its part in masking the true source of the immoral and illogical occurrences that we perceive as the problems.
For instance, we see the pollution of the environment, the lack of sustainability of our society and the condition of the less fortunate as problems. These things I list are not the problems. These things I have listed are simply the “shadows on the wall” of the real things which we are not ready to see (Blackburn). These shadows are the situational responses due to the transsituational conditioning to which we have all been exposed. Conditioning which can be attributed to so few categories as materialism, economics and ethics.
If the truth is revealed to a person conditioned by our current ideology they likely would reject the truth in exchange for the lies, much like someone who has only been conditioned to see shadows could not handle the light of the sun and would return to the recesses of the cave. However, in a situation where a “noble savage” exists, this person has never been conditioned to see the shadows and as a result they could likely handle the truth (Shelley). They would see that the real root of the problems they see in fact lies with their ideology.
What is it that makes our actions contradict our beliefs to serve the will of greater society without our awareness? Our ideology is responsible for the cognitive dissonance that occurs because our actions never change. It is also responsible for the masking of that contradiction so that we feel comfortable with lifestyle. Our ideology encourages us to strive for more possessions and fiscal wealth while sacrificing what is best for ourselves and others. When people see the shadow of our ideology’s shortcomings they blame themselves (as others have done to them before) for not working hard enough or making the right decisions.
What is it that allows this obviously detrimental set of beliefs and actions to prevail? Our political system is one that tends to harbor such ideas once they become the predominant ideas. Through procedural neutrality and the existence of the middle class the government is able to turn away from the true source of our problems for short fixes which are friendly to the lobbyists and electoral campaign donators.
An emphasis is put on the economy as a fix but this is just bailing water out while there is still a hole in our society. Since the government is seen as the only entity “making a difference” cleaning up their Frankenstein’s monsters through the support of the economy, they are championed and politics effectively mask the neocapitalistic shift of values, corruption of risk assessment, acceptable losses and collateral damage which make up economics (Kassiola).
What will it take to reach a new collective plane of thinking which our society has never known? It is likely that we will never see this day. It is likely that our children will never see this day. In fact, I feel for the people who do actually witness this revolution because to uproot such an ideology to be replaced by another which completely contradicts the former will not be an easy transition. Like the person who has seen only the shadows, when the true light is shown it will be almost unbearable.
The shadows of our problems can not be fixed. We have to recognize that we are the problem and fix ourselves and until that happens we will not see a good and drastic change in ideology. It is suggested that in order for such a change to happen we will have to experience a disaster which will forever change us as individuals and as a society. This disaster will have to be felt by all of society so that the feelings of every other person can be shared and we must be forced to accept responsibility for the consequences of embracing the neocapitalistic ideology rather than be allowed to attribute it to the shadows of our ideology.
While I do not feel that I have reached any sort of level of enlightenment, I do feel that this class and the books I have read as a result have helped to explain some of the things I have felt for a long time. I have been a business owner for around five years and I have been doing internet security and internet marketing consulting since my freshman year in high school.
Relatively frequently, people call me and cancel orders because they can not make their car payment again and their car is going to be repossessed by some sort of financing company for persons with little credit. Until this class I simply could not understand the thinking behind doing something like this. I could easily sell my company within a week and have enough money to live at what I consider a comfortable level for a few years. I am only twenty-two and already have an IRA and separate savings. Until recently my primary mode of transportation was a 1989 Chevrolet Blazer which I paid $500 for and my only real expense is the bill for tuition which has been alleviated in part by financial aid which I obtained by merit. I can’t imagine buying something without knowing I had the money and knowing I in fact needed the item. I hardly consider the aftermarket automotive parts I sell needs.
I have always felt that the possession of material goods has no real value to me. As long as I remember I have always chosen a nice dinner or family trip over a birthday gift with the exception of my parents paying half of the cost of a used kayak for me this year. I have to say I am proud of my accomplishments and I enjoy it when my peers look up to me as someone who is “successful for their age” but I have come to realize as someone who has nothing of real value to lose and nobody to support that the only thing that comes with spending money is stress. This has led me to the savings and building of my company but what this class has made clear to me is that it is not the spending of money that brings stress but actually the value that is placed on possessions by our society’s ideology.
A close friend from the past first introduced me to the concept that there is more to life than being the envy of your peers by buying into the ideology through The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. My ethics class helped me to know how to find what I consider to be the meaning of life. The typical concept of “the greatest good” was obviously covered in the course of the class (Blackburn). However, I found what I believe to parallel the Hindu belief that it is not “the greatest good for the greatest number” utilitarianism belief but rather it is the greatest good of everybody that is important (Camus). This class has provided me not with the actual objects casting the shadows but with the source of the light and the knowledge to associate it with what we see.

Sarve bhabantoo sukhino
(May everybody be happy).

Sarve Santoo Nirmaya
(May everybody be free from ailment).

Sarve Bhadrani pashyantoo
(May everybody see only good).

Ma kaschit dukhabhog bhabhet
(May none be afflicted by sorrow)