Who is Really in Charge?

            During our November intensive, we had an afternoon dedicated to the discussion of living systems. Our guest lecturer was Stuart Cowen. Over the course of the afternoon we talked about many things including the structure of the universe, taxonomy of different types of systems, fractal geometry through emergent systems, autopoiesis (self-organization), the conservation economy, and how these all play into resilient local living economies. What captured my attention (and imagination) was the discussion on different system types, namely Newtonian Systems and Living Systems.

            The distinction made between these two system types enhanced the idea that our current economy functions to meet short-term goals and does so in a massively destructive way. When Mr. Cowen questioned our class, “Who is in charge of our system (our economy)?”, a few major players were offered including governments, corporations and top executives of the major money-making institutions around the world. While any of these may be partly true, it is quite clear that there is really one entity that governs not only our economy, but every action of every living being. From fundamental particles to individual organisms to the way our planet interacts with the solar system, nature ultimately controls all the processes take place. This becomes evident when one observes how the natural world reacts when pushed to the limit by humankind. Through our economic system we have achieved great success in speeding up the destruction of the natural world. This is forcing us to face the problems we have generated.

            The living systems model proposes a benign relationship with nature and was described in Mr. Cowen’s presentation using the following terminology:

Wholeness                         Networked                          Open                               Resilient                                                                                  Non-Equilibrium               Nonlinear                            Adaptive                         Threshold/Bifurcation      Autopoiesis                       Fractal Geometry                 Chaotic                           Emergent Properties

           

These qualities paint the picture of how an economy, surrounded and governed by the environment and focused on the long-term, could thrive. However distant we may be from a system that demonstrates these traits, I do believe it is achievable. We are enveloped by nature which provides for us an endless array of resilient patterns and adaptive models that have existed from time immemorial. This does beg the question again though, “Who is in charge of this system?”, and how does it work so perfectly without human involvement? It seems there is one major principle that reigns in nature. Each organism pursues it’s own propagation until it is no longer beneficial for the larger system in which it resides. At that point any number of forces will keep that organism in check to maintain the balance which nature so beautifully strikes.

            If we are to modify or completely create a new economy focused on living systems and the ideas mentioned above, then I believe we will have to abide by the same key principle that nature abides by. We have attempted to create “forces” as I refer to above in order to maintain balance in our current economy. Our individual pursuits and societal laws, regulations and enforcement are too fragmented and have not fundamentally benefitted the system in which they reside, which is and always will be nature. I leave this post with a few questions for any readers as I am curious to hear your thoughts:

1.     What are the forces in nature that preserve its longevity, yet allow for such a diversity of organisms to flourish?

2.     What forces keep us in check, individually or collectively?

3.     While nature is extremely complex, I would argue that it is governed by fairly basic laws. Have humans created too complex of a system to abide by laws of nature?

I watched a short video recently entitled "Sacred Economics". It is also a book by Charles Eisenstein. I believe the quote below puts us in the best mindset to move forward in the right direction.

“We didn’t earn any of the things that really keep us alive or make life good. We didn’t earn air. We didn’t earn being born. We didn’t earn conception. We didn’t earn being able to breathe. We didn’t earn having a planet that can provide us food. We didn’t earn the sun. If we know that life is a gift, then the natural response is gratitude.”

                                                                                                -Charles Eisenstein