In the world of 21st-century human beings, the primacy of nation, ideology, religion, supersedes the primacy of the planet and the species.
Humanity has been on the receiving end of endless tragedies. The world is staring down the barrel gun because of climate change, rapid technological advancements, population explosion, mass migration, corruption, inequality, etc.
The environment is deteriorating. The population is at an all-time high. But, the urge to create mindlessly and consume relentlessly is eternal.
We live in a divided world, separating nature and humankind. The collective emphasis is on differences, competition, and superiority instead of commonalities. We fight, confront, and dominate each other within limited boundaries: nation, religion, race, gender, and political ideology. Global harmony does not exist at present. There is segregation, competition, and animosity all around.
Scientists and philosophers have time and again warned that humanity needs to change its ways for coexistence, survival, longevity, and prosperity.
Today, the world population stands at 7.7 billion. With more people, the consumption and competition intensifies.
It is not hard to understand that a fundamental change in the way we live is needed. That is the only way to prevent greater problems. However, people aren’t sure what change is needed so they continue to live as they have. At this rate, the future of humankind will be in jeopardy in 50 years.
We need a new approach to overcome the prevailing antagonistic dualism. We need a new focal point to reconcile our conflicting values and ensure a global spirit of cooperation. A number of institutes and individuals are working more or less successfully to establish harmony. The Philosophy of Coexistence is one such movement that advocates the global order of humankind.
It is humans who created this problem, and only humans can solve it. To live on this Earth without destroying it we need to learn how to become citizens of the planet.
What is missing from humankind:
- Universal upbringing, education, and learning that involves humane values.
- Individual social responsibility.
- Requisite knowledge of holism for understanding the universal nature of existence and being.
If one is open towards learning new things and wants to contribute towards the wellbeing of humanity and planet Earth, he is a world citizen, a global citizen.
‘World citizen’ is more comprehensive than all the usual notions we use in order to define ourselves. Being a global citizen can be defined as living in harmony with nature and being ready to work for the health and wellbeing of the planet and humanity. It is not a prerogative of a particular race, religion, gender, or age – it is our shared responsibility as individuals living on this planet.
We have to be responsible for the things happening around or in the world. The aim should be to broaden our perspective and to perceive the planet as the place where we belong, as our home, and to act and live accordingly.
The air we breathe and the food we eat comes from the planet. Before we are people from different cultures or nations, we are people who live on the earth. When we realize that the earth is the basis for all of our existence, we can overcome our differences.
Takeaway –
Current Belief – Economic globalization is the way to global oneness.
In popular culture – David Macdonald in this article discusses the importance of globalization. In the article, he explores all economic angles right from 15th-century silk routes to foreign direct investments. The piece ends with the argument that various social and cultural opportunities have been realized due to economic globalization.
As per the Philosophy of Coexistence, a human being is the coexistence of the physical body and the life-atom/soul. Understanding is the ability of the life atom/soul in a human body. A living human being is a soul understanding reality and creating experiences and storing them in the collective cloud of transactive Memories. Every newborn learns from the same transactive memory and also contributes to this collective memory during his lifetime.
This cloud transactive memory that society or a group of human beings build which needs to be updated to achieve a harmonious global order, true globalization. The need is to create a culture that can allow any newborn to be able to correctly identify and know itself and the existential reality. We need to revalidate the existing beliefs and align them with reality. This is the task at hand for all humanity to save themselves from making the earth unfit for existence.
