[URS] Climate Action Week: "Earth, Wonder, Justice: Eroding Planetary Narcissism with Environmental Philosophy" with Dr. Jeremy Bendik-Keymer

Join us for a talk by Dr. Jeremy Bendik-Keymer, who will share his research into the deep historical roots of today’s planetary crisis and the psychological patterns that shape human civilization.

"The planetary phase-shift that is underway comes from accumulated social processes by human societies arriving in waves roughly 12,000; 10,000; 2,000; 500, 200, and 70 years ago. There are various reasons for the lack of environmental prudence we now know to read into these moments. Only recently, say, from 70 years ago on, have these been conscious, knowing changes motored on without ignorance of what was transpiring. Yet from the earliest changes roughly 12,000 years ago when animals were domesticated and large, human settlements began to develop alongside empires, there has been a disturbing psychological consistency: narcissism has predominated over wonder. In this talk, I step back to 35-40,000 years ago to contrast Paleolithic wonder with the consequences of adopting narcissistic formations as bases of human civilization. I then discuss how to identify and confront narcissistic practices and institutions in today's planetary crisis." - Dr. Bendik-Keymer

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Co-hosted with: Climate Action Network

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