THE twentieth century architect, inventor and philosopher Buckminster Fuller profoundly said that the survival of the human civilisation in this spaceship we call Earth will depend on individuals, and not on economic or political systems. The track record of the history of human civilisations with all its conflicts has proven that this seems to be the rule of the human disposition.
It is the individual that makes up a household, a community or a country. We can devise a system to manage a household, a community or a country but it will depend on the individual to execute its essential guidelines or laws. Also, it takes an individual to work out the flawed loopholes in the system, any system for that matter, and destroy the very fabric of its ideals.
It is an individual who creatively invents the most wonderful gadgets but again and again, history has shown that it also takes an individual to demolish the very foundation of culture and collective heritage that has taken generations to build.
It is therefore vital that we fortify and temper the character and conscience of the individual so that the acceptable universal world view in facing the responsibility, challenge and context of his human existence as a global citizen, can at least, be communicated, embraced and cultivated.
Bucky, again, believed that the key to the very survival of human civilisation, if one thinks it is worth saving, will depend on the integrity of the said individual to uphold the divine truth that is espoused by human civilisation.
What exactly is the divine truth as envisioned by Bucky?
This is perhaps the missing link and the ambiguous quality we know exists but is categorically difficult to pinpoint. It is that undefinable attribute that allows an individual, a household, a community or a nation to function within a shared harmonious understanding in a fluid domain of ethics rather than having to state everything in “Thou shall or shall not” of staid laws and commandments.
This is the distinctive feature in a society which allows the citizenry to function as civilised and ethical individuals.
It is the true meaning of being cultured.
The other “key” word is integrity. We need a critical mass of like-minded individuals with integrity, in all fields. They also must understand the multi-dimensional and inter-connectedness of all fields. We cannot have leaders, even if they are bold leaders and politicians, who are merely, specialists – rather we need them to be comprehensivists. Comprehensivists, according to Bucky, are those who are aware of these intra-cultural connections, the socio-economic-political inter-relationships of living together in this closed system of our planet Earth.
Prophets of religions have tried to bring individuals out of the quagmire of “ignorance”, greed and egotistical delusion but at this day and age when the very tenets of religions have been politicised, weaponised and are the very cause of divisiveness, “religion”, especially those which vehemently proselytise the doctrine of “the other” as the adversary, seems mediaeval and not of this global age.
In the last few years, the advancement in technology, especially that of digital technology, has been phenomenal. Such a wide range of inventions have impacted our lives and we are now constantly bombarded with new gadgets which will change our lives in unimaginable ways.
These inventions draw from the “good” innovations that have improved our living conditions to the terrible ones, like the nuclear bombs and arsenals of weapons of mass destruction.
Unfortunately, our planet Earth is a closed system. Many inventions have drastically affected and changed our ecosystems – some have destroyed our ecosystems, irreversibly – thus the climate change and massive environmental degradation.
In recent years, amazing breakthroughs in technology especially with regard to AI or artificial intelligence have rendered obsolete many of our previous contraptions and appliances.
It is apparent that AI will profoundly change our world giving immense power to those who control it and consequently the looming risk that it could escape our control entirely!
If the technology of artificial intelligence should continue to change the world – then we should want to make sure that it changes our world for the better.
I think it’s wishful thinking to believe we can supervise the big corporations who control the patent to this knowledge.
Science is about material knowledge and there is no stopping the acquisition of knowledge in any field of human endeavour. We cannot attach “morality” of good or evil with knowledge.
Icarus, who met his death by flying too near the sun, which melted the very wings that made him able to fly, gives a clue to our predicament. Other myths teach us how destructive and flawed we humans can be, warning us that human civilisation is fragile.
The more digital technologies and artificial intelligence take precedence in our lives the more I feel that arts, culture and subjects that celebrate our “humanity” in a more ethical, moderate and level-headed manner, should be given importance in our education system.
This is where arts, culture and the humanities come into the picture. Religious tenets with their tendencies to bank rigidly and solely on faith, unless reformed to embrace “universal spirituality” have been divisive and weaponised to lead us down the yellow brick road of Alice in Never Never Land.
Culture cultivates an individual who is resilient, creative and inclusive and I believe with added quality of adaptability to recover better from stresses and “shocks” of life. They are generally able to cope compared to those who are underdeveloped with regards to the edifying consequence of exposure to culture.
Education is about building these humane qualities in the individual who revels in the diversity that life offers.
Presently, the awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusivity is more vital than ever in the inculcation of values in our culture and education system. The cultivation of a holistic personality who is sensitive to our ecosystem and open to positive connections with others and new areas, should be one of the major goals of education. The inculcation of this perspective should be the responsibility of those in the position to effect a collective change in this continuous process of evolution towards building communities of a civilised and humane race.
This is the mode of universal “spirituality” and goal of the present age that advocates a more inclusive moral and ethical responsibility of partaking life in this living planet. They are generally more acceptable than “religious” dogmas which promote extremist values.
The equation of happiness and success is complex. Mere survival for the fittest, is bad karma. It is risky when politicians and those who formulate and devise strategies in their respective fields, do not have the sensitivity to fathom the complex equation of happiness and success but instead consign their decisions on the flawed index of quantities and profits, as the sole measures of success.
This is where the sensitivity and potent message of artists who deal with visions of the inner landscape of the human psyche, tempers us to reflect on the diverse human conditions as metaphors of life, in all its complexity. – The Vibes, March 21, 2023
Datuk Ramli Ibrahim is Sutra Dance Theatre artistic director
