Ubuntu as a remedy to revive from the anthropocentric addiction

Human civilization is at the brink of catastrophe. The world is at a cross road of looming environmental, sociopolitical, and spiritual crisis. The depth and breadth of the challenges are not only diverse but also extremely complex. The alarming rate of the ever pressing and worsening problems have paused the greatest existential threat to humanity and the planet like never before.

The western science-based philosophy along with its offspring; technology led industrial mode of production and profit oriented economics have become the widely accepted and dominant global political worldview. As a result, the antidotes that are prescribed to lift humanity out of the manifold of existential crisis we faced are the same but more advanced scientific and technological solutions that aims at maximizing profit and economic growth.

There is a growing utterly discontent world population, global environmental and social justice movements, and spiritual awakening that challenges the entire ethical construction of western worldview and its economic growth model.  They argue that no healing process of planetary proportion would be hatched from the industrial society growth model that is on the verge of crumbling.

To begin with, science has never fully understood the mystery of life forms on earth, their dimensional relationships, and the meaning, significance, and purpose of human life in relation to the planet and the universe. Instead, it separates human beings from the rest of the universe installing a paradigm that hardly had moral sanctions on ethical standards and responsibilities of a human being towards the planet and all life forms on it.

 Science as an instrument of the only acceptable knowledge entrenched the value and merits of adventurous exploration and expansion. It promotes the triumph of winning and conquering. It normalizes the profit of exploitation, erosion and degradation. It preaches the industriousness of commerce, technology, and atheism. And it teaches economic progress and development as the only language, the only measure, and the only motive that drives a human craft.

This western reductionist worldview attempts to seek a solution only when the problem is a human problem. Science as the creative and ingenious craft of a human mind only tries to seek a solution to a problem that only affects human. Whatever is not affecting human is not a problem. It is deeply anchored on the stubborn view of a man as the only important creation on the planet. Others are important too because or as long as they are important to humans. 

Their importance emanates from the importance they have to humans. And what determines the degree of their importance is the degree they are able to generate immediate pleasure to humans. In other words, the only worthwhile value systems or ethical considerations that humanity should worry about is the ones that have value to humans. That is how dangerously narrow and reductionist the western philosophy is.

Ubuntu is exactly the opposite. It is a totally different and unique outlook to life, our significance, and purpose on earth. It is a profound consciousness that is driven by compassion, empathy, and concern. The significance and value of a human being is not measured by the pursuit of happiness through the fetish to material possession, wealth, and power. Instead, the pursuit of happiness is anchored by spiritual elevation that is only attained by a healthy relationship with self and all life forms on earth. Ubuntu equals humanity as the most profound expression of creation. 

I am because we are. My existence is only as long as you exist.  My happiness is only as good as the reflection of yours. Hence, it is the most holistic and inclusive philosophy that deeply understands the ecological web of life and its mysterious interdependence and interconnectedness.

Ubuntu is a transcending worldview that gives meaning and purpose to humans’ ethical existence on and relationship with Mother Earth. It furthers a value system that govern our relationship and morale responsibility to one another and to mother nature.

That is why Ubuntu is the ideal philosophy to all environmental, human rights, and social justice activism work. Ubuntu is all about a dignified living that will not happen without a dignified other and a dignified living planet.

Ubuntu is the vehicle to help humanity evolve and shift from a paradigm of commercial and technological civilization to an ecological and spiritual civilization.

Together towards Ubuntu revival!