WHAT DID PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE LIVED IN CAVES?
In my opinion, most of us are very conditioned into the idea of Progressive Evolution – into the idea that as a species, and as a global civilization, we are on an irreversable path of ever–increasing, perhaps–infinite self–improvement and sophistication.
When people dare to question the self–evident nature of this resplendent collective self–image by suggesting, let´s say, for example – that cities are not good for your health, or sanity – they are quickly attacked with insults about being “regressive”. “What? you want everyone to move back to the countryside – and live in bamboo huts?!”
The creed of Progressive Evolution states that the human species is always progressing. And of this there can be no doubting. There will, of course (the more humble admit) be minor issues that sometimes arise – unfortunate, unforseen complications that arise on our heroic journey of becoming (you know - the dessication of the elements, species genocides, the numbing of the collective human heart) – but these side–issues in no way undermine our fudamental premise: that we are continually improving, that things are always getting better – and that we've got to keep going, that there's no turning back...
Turning back would mean returning to the middle ages, to times of darkness and plagues. The further we look back in history, the more primitive people were – we´re convinced of it. The further back we look the more ignorance we see – the more dirt and disease, and illiteracy, and conflict based on superstition.
Going all the way back to the caves we have a vision of conversations that went something like this: “Ug, ug, ug?” one person asks (although we feel that even our use of the word “person” is generous on our part – that, in actual fact, these creatures were barely human). “Ug?” replies another “person” (are they asking for clarification as to the exact nature of the question? We doubt it. Are they just joining in with the questoning vibe – like when one dog barking sets off all the others? That seems more probable to us. Or are they just wondering out loud, randomly, about nothing? That seems the most likely of all.
On what is our caricature of their conversations based? Nothing! Do we have recordings of their conversations? No! Do we know their technology was less complex than ours? Yes. Does this mean their conversations wer less sophisticated? No!
Is it possible that these ancient, ancient ancestors of ours had more finely atuned senses than ours? Yes! A better sense of smell? Yes! A closer connection to “the animals” (a word we, “the progressed”, use to distinguish “us” from “them”)? Were the minds of these people not bound, as ours tend to be, by this arbitrary discrimination – and were they, therefore, more aware of themselves as one–type–of–creature surrounded by other–types–of–creatures (other animals, fish, birds, insects, trees...) – and therefore more capable of sensing the existential equality of all creatures? I would imagine so – yes!
As we begin to question the unquestionable idea Progressive Evolution, we see that unless we limit “progress” to meaning “the increasing complexity of technology”, or “increasing expertise in the manipulation of matter”, or something like that – it is an extremely questionable concept.
It quickly becomes difficult to believe in Progressive Evolution as some sort of all–governing, inexorable, unavoidable, irreversible, natural law – the great, cosmic ocean current upon which the ship of humanity is destined to ride.
Is it possible that our ancestors who didn´t have bulldozers or cranes or cement or plastic or glass, and who lived in caves, sat around the fire and engaged in metaphysical and existential debates every bit as sophisticated as our own? (I will refrain here from commenting on the level of intellectual refinement to be heard in most modern day conversations – not wanting to push my case too hard!)
Is it possible that they dabated as to whether the wind was actually a god, with a distinct personality of its own, or whether different winds exhibited different personalities? Is it possible they wondered whether wondering whether the wind, or winds, had personalites was all anthropomorphism – or, at least, the projection of human attributes upon a non-human element which had, perhaps, attributes of which they were unable to conceive? Is it possible they had such conversations? Yes, of course it is! Why, just because their technology was so much simpler than our own, do we go on to assume they were stupid?
In my opinion, the Idea of Progressive Evolution (the belief that “that´s the way existence goes – everything, always, and in all ways, just get better and better”) is a just myth, a dogma.
BACKWARDS WOULD BE FORWARDS
Having loosened up our conditioning a little – we can now look at the direction of modern civilisation more clearly. Now that we have taken off the glasses of inevitable Progressive Evolution – and can make a less fundamentalistic evaluation – we are free to ask if we´ve gone too far (without being ridiculed as “regressive”). We are free to ask whether the way forward might indeed be to take some steps back.
Is the global, civilisational trend towards increasingly complex technological dependency, and increasing distance from the natural world – from our flesh and blood belonging within the natural world – progressive? Are we “progressing” too far?
In the first part of this article I hope I exposed The Myth of Progressive Evolution as an extremely dubious creed, as an unquestioned collective assumption – and as an inflated self-image. But what is “too far”? How far is “just far enough”? What is The Balance Point?
For me, because I feel I belong to Life and Death, because I feel I am part-of Existence – because I feel that I exist as an equal with every other human being and every other living creature – I feel we act upon The Balance Point when we consider the existence of “everyone else” - the wellbeing of the other animals, insects, trees, bushes, plants, fish, insects and birds with whom we share this planet, or dimension, or reality, or whatever we like to call it...
From this point of view, genetic modification with irreversible, unknown consequences is “going to far”. Chemical additives in our food and water with unknown consequences, pharmaceutical drugs with unknown consequences, geoengineering with unknown consequences (I could go on) – all of this behaviour is “going too far” - because it goes beyond The Balance Point at which we co-exist respectfully, as equals, with “everyone else”.
From this point of view, permacultural, biodynamic and regenerative agricutural practices that consider “everyone else” (and we are are also part of “everyone”) - are a step back from monocultural, toxin-soaked, mass-productive agriculture – but because we have overstepped The Balance Point – the way forwards means we need to step back from the industrialisation, mechanisation and digitalisation of everything.
Yes – everything! With accelerating success since the Industrial Revolution we have “progressed” further and further into asphalted urban envirnoments, and disembodied virtual environments – leaving The Balance Point of respectful co-existence with Life and Death far, far behind.
I am not saying that technology is evil. I am not saying we should return to the caves – and debate metaphysics in the sunset! I am saying that we have been indoctrinated with the idea of Progressive Evolution, and live today in a state of techno-intoxication that is Out of Balance – and that, therefore, the way forwards is now backwards. Not to the caves! To the Balance Point at which our technologies and ways of life are respectful of everyone else.
Mark Josephs
"Mark the Mystic Activist"
Aragon, Spain,
Summer, 2024
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