WEBVTT
1
00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:11.960
Why have we been doing what we
have been doing? Welcome to the Hub
2
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:16.679
for Important Ideas. I'm Steve James
and I'm Ken Swain. This episode is
3
00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:20.920
called Message in a Bottle because we're
going to speak directly to the people of
4
00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:26.239
the future two hundred years from now. We hope they will find this recording
5
00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.320
and know how to play it back
to hear our description of the twenty one
6
00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:35.479
century. We're assuming that someone is
there to hear us. Like the ancient,
7
00:00:36.439 --> 00:00:42.240
like the ancient Irish monks who preserved
Latin and Greek learning in Ireland during
8
00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:49.119
the early Middle Ages, we're doing
our sort of our own monk thing and
9
00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:54.600
preserving important ideas that you in the
future may need for either the study of
10
00:00:54.640 --> 00:01:00.759
our time or for the creation of
a new civilization. We can is Swain
11
00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:06.959
Swain Irish? No Swain is Swain
is English? Waspy. I'm I'm the
12
00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:11.439
person they hate the most, and
you're you're kind of waspy on both sides.
13
00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:15.439
Yes, I really am there.
I'm Lospy on my father's side and
14
00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:19.560
Austrian on my mother. So there's
no Irish. Well, there's some Irish
15
00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:23.000
and my father's family, but we'll
just go ahead, We'll just be monks,
16
00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:27.200
and we won't will be monks,
and forget about the Irish Park.
17
00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:33.079
So we thought. We thought of
at least five possible futures, each one
18
00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:38.200
of them very different, and we
can't possibly predict which one or more of
19
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:44.120
these will happen. Number one is
that humans will be replaced entirely by machines.
20
00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:48.400
Number two is that there will be
a few humans left who are living
21
00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:53.280
in huts and hovels. Number three, it's something like star trek yep.
22
00:01:53.560 --> 00:02:00.400
That's a good one. Number four, humanity has genetically engineered a master like
23
00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:07.519
Homo days. That's like, you've
all no Harari man gods. Mhm uh.
24
00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:10.719
Five. We just gave up and
said the future is completely unimaginable for
25
00:02:10.840 --> 00:02:15.479
us here in the twenty one century, right, But of course I had
26
00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:19.800
to I had to be Mr Doom
and Gloom and say that there is another
27
00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:25.120
possibility, and that is that we've
completely blown ourselves to bits and there's nothing
28
00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:30.599
left man or machine on the planet
to hear this, and if and if
29
00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:34.560
so, oh well it was nice
while it lasted. I had to laugh.
30
00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:38.800
But but our our technology continues to
increase, and there does not seem
31
00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:45.840
to be a corresponding increase in intelligence
or wisdom or the ability to handle our
32
00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:50.159
stuff. You know, this is
this is something really really awful. Anyway,
33
00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:53.680
it's true. We will assume,
okay, we'll assume that there is
34
00:02:53.759 --> 00:03:00.240
somebody who will hear this, So
we want to talk about somebody. DA
35
00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:05.680
is that we're not expressed much in
the news media, textbooks, other publications
36
00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:10.000
of our time. The media of
our day tended to focus on politics,
37
00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:15.479
economics, social divisions, and equality. War. Climate change is a big
38
00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:20.759
one. We think those are important
topics, but we want to bring in
39
00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:27.280
a vitally important component that underlies many
of these issues. We want to discuss
40
00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:35.159
human motivation and the importance of understanding
the role it played in forging our future,
41
00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.919
which is of course your present two
hundred years from now. We want
42
00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:45.520
to discuss the role death anxiety played
for us in this era. We're gonna
43
00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:49.639
put a little uh disclaimer here,
Steve that we're going to talk about some
44
00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:53.159
stuff that makes a lot of people
uncomfortable. And if people and our people
45
00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:58.479
and now people at our time makes
very uncomfortable, yeah, but the people
46
00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:00.520
in the future, they may they
may have embraced it. They may have
47
00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.759
taken it in somehow and not been
so freaked out by it. We're freaked
48
00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:08.360
out by it for good reason.
And uh so, if people have a
49
00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:13.960
functioning system that's working for them,
keep doing that, and what do we
50
00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:17.680
know anyway, don't listen to us. So you in the future you may
51
00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:21.720
understand this already. We hope that
you do. But even if you do,
52
00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:26.519
please take this one time to hear
our take on things. You may
53
00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:31.040
find it illuminating. Even if you're
a machine, or you're some homodeous creature
54
00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.879
that's genetically designed to live five years. Even if you live in a Star
55
00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:42.000
Trek future populated with contented people who
have miraculously managed to overcome human nature,
56
00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:46.000
or if you live in a world
that's beyond our understanding, we may still
57
00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:49.480
have something you haven't thought of.
After all, our role as forebears is
58
00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:56.800
no small thing. We're kind of
responsible for you being there, and we
59
00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:01.480
have explanations for how you got where
you are. Okay, Now, if
60
00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:08.319
you're an unfortunate human or a group
of survivors in a dystopian future, we
61
00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:15.240
offer our sincere apologies. We we
are not key people responsible for cutting down
62
00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:23.480
forests or mining coal. But we
do drive gasoline powered cars now, and
63
00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:28.600
we do heat our homes with oil
now, and we use electricity that's been
64
00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:32.759
generated with fossil fuels, and we
buy food that's been produced by polluting agriculture
65
00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:41.399
systems. We buy consumer goods manufactured
and polluting factories. So we are complicit,
66
00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:45.800
and we understand if you blame us
for your failed civilization and your poisoned
67
00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:50.240
world. We're not executives of the
oil companies, but we're going along for
68
00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:56.319
the ride. Yeah, I guess
maya copa, maya copa man maximum copa.
69
00:05:56.839 --> 00:05:58.800
You have to you have to say
that. You have to say that.
70
00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:05.519
Yeah. So let's look at death
anxiety and its central role in human
71
00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:13.399
motivation. Many of our ideas come
from the late twentieth century thinker Ernest Becker.
72
00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:20.079
So all traditional humans die eventually for
us in the twenty one century,
73
00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:26.720
twenty years seems to be the maximum, and only in exceedingly rare cases.
74
00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:30.439
Most of us don't get anywhere near
that, and the way things are going
75
00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:36.120
now, wouldn't really want to,
right. There are unusual animals in our
76
00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:41.319
time, mainly sea creatures that can
live two hundred to five hundred years.
77
00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:46.319
Like sharks and whales and clams.
We aspire to live longer like them,
78
00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:50.920
but don't yet understand the aging process. For humans, you in the future
79
00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:55.959
may have worked it out and maybe
living five hundred years. What we do
80
00:06:56.040 --> 00:07:00.040
have in common with all under other
animals is the will to survive. We
81
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:06.279
sometimes call it the survival instinct.
Like all animals, we do what is
82
00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:12.319
necessary to survive long enough to reproduce, and like many complex animals, we
83
00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:16.000
strive to live long enough to care
for our young. One of our primary
84
00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:23.800
survival mechanisms that we share with other
animals is fear. Fear is an unpleasant
85
00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:29.480
feeling triggered by the perception of danger. Real or imagined. Fear can be
86
00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:34.399
controlled, what we call repressed or
suppressed, to allow an animal to function,
87
00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:40.480
to flee, to fight, or
to freeze. In humans, the
88
00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:46.879
unconscious imperfect suppression of fear, or
the conscious repression of fear we call just
89
00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:53.439
repression. For short, repression of
fear is necessary for survival, but ours
90
00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:57.920
is not complete. It's imperfect,
Otherwise it would not work to keep us
91
00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:03.120
motivated to stay alive sane. Humans
can control fear, but we can't eliminate
92
00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:11.319
it. Like our animal cousins,
our control must be imperfect for evolutionary reasons.
93
00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:20.399
In our century, sane adult humans
using inductive and deductive reasoning are able
94
00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:24.240
to determine that they will eventually die. As far as we know, we're
95
00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:31.000
the only species who have the intellectual
capability to predict the future. This process
96
00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:39.159
produces in us an emotion akin to
fear. We are profoundly uncomfortable when we
97
00:08:39.240 --> 00:08:46.480
think about our inevitable deaths. We
call this emotion dread. Dread is a
98
00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:52.279
potentially debilitating emotion that is subtly different
from fear. Many people claim that they
99
00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:56.759
do not fear death, which is
true. A knife at my throat will
100
00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:03.799
cause fear. All animals react to
danger in this way. However, imagining
101
00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:11.240
my inevitable but not imminent death will
cause dread, something no other animal experiences
102
00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:16.600
as far as we know. So
these two human traits, the survival instinct
103
00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:24.000
and the certain knowledge of our mortality, are in conflict and can cause severe
104
00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:31.720
psychological harm in anyone ill equipped to
handle the emotional conundrum. We see this
105
00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:35.919
in some people that we call mentally
ill. The feeling this conflict produces in
106
00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:46.320
us causes anticipation with great apprehension as
we understand it. Our defenses against dread,
107
00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:52.240
like our ability to control fear,
are imperfect. Our ability to consciously
108
00:09:52.320 --> 00:10:00.399
suppress or unconsciously repress the dread of
death must be imperfect for evolutionary reasons.
109
00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:05.840
The result is that some residual form
of fear remains. We call this residual
110
00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:13.759
fear death anxiety, something we assume
all humans have shared over thousands of years.
111
00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:20.639
Cultures exist primarily to defend us against
death anxiety and free us to function
112
00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:26.000
in the service of the group and
advance our species. For the majority of
113
00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:31.679
us humans are most common psychological defense
against the malady of knowing we will die
114
00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:37.960
is denial. This is why Ernest
Becker titled his Pulitzer Prize winning book The
115
00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:43.960
Denial of Death. We pretend death
is not inevitable in our day to day
116
00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:50.399
lives. Our denial takes many forms, but the most successful and over the
117
00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:56.840
over the centuries is religion. All
major religions through thousands of years of human
118
00:10:56.919 --> 00:11:03.799
history fortify their believers with the promise
of actual immortality, which means they will
119
00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:11.360
not die, reincarnation, resurrection and
immortal soul, and eternal life in heaven
120
00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:16.960
with God and the angels all promised
life beyond mortal death and defend their adherents
121
00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.039
against death anxiety. The country we
inhabit, the United States of America,
122
00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:28.039
was founded by religious zealots called Pilgrims
and Puritans, and a variety of Christian
123
00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:33.960
believers. Many of the founders practiced
to faith called deism. These are all
124
00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:41.480
excellent defenses against death anxiety. There
are other forms of symbolic immortality, like
125
00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:46.960
wealth, fame, power, beauty, and achievement that had Having children is
126
00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:56.159
another one that bolster our self esteem, a primary psychological defense against death anxiety.
127
00:11:56.360 --> 00:12:01.559
Culture is defined as the social behavior
institute sans and norms found in human
128
00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:07.639
societies. I have another definition of
culture that I'd like to insert here.
129
00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:15.759
Culture is the particular style that a
society adopts to lie to itself about the
130
00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:22.360
nature of reality. I love it, Isn't that good? Yeah? It
131
00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:28.840
is a way humans organize and express
their knowledge, belief, arts, laws,
132
00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:35.000
customs, capabilities, and traditions.
The primary function of culture is to
133
00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:41.799
defend against death anxiety with stratagems for
self esteem called heroism. I know this
134
00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:46.039
is a lot to take in,
but follow along with us and it will
135
00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:54.879
start to make sense. I hope
these many opportunities for literal or symbolic immortality,
136
00:12:54.120 --> 00:13:03.600
our defenses against death anxiety are causes
for things like great achievement, morality,
137
00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:09.879
ethics, and social cohesion. They're
also causes of great evil, like
138
00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:16.080
wars, persecution, and hatred.
Opportunities for immortality what some of us call
139
00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:26.679
immortality projects our primary human motivators over
the centuries. Immortality projects include building pyramids
140
00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:33.759
and temples, uniting groups of people
into societies and nations, scientific discoveries and
141
00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:41.080
inventions, creations of empires and large
corporations, and devotion to families and the
142
00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:48.080
young. As we understand it,
our defenses against death anxiety are imperfect.
143
00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:58.120
But the combination of literal immortality promised
by religion and symbolic immortality provided by opportunities
144
00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:07.200
for heroism keep death anxiety at bay
and enable us to function successfully. So
145
00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:13.480
the problem our society faces today is
the decline in the power of religion within
146
00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:18.519
our culture. Many, if not
most, of us still give religion lip
147
00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:22.960
service, practicing it once a week
or less, but it in no way
148
00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:28.440
matches our pilgrim and puritan ancestors devotion. We rarely, if ever talk about
149
00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:33.960
a creator, let alone follow his
commands. We spend far more of our
150
00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:41.159
time thinking about work, money,
achievement, and social status, all alternative
151
00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:46.639
sources of self esteem. They're all
symbolic defenses against death anxiety, but without
152
00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:54.000
the cosmic certainty of an actual immortality
guaranteed by religion. Our culture is being
153
00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:58.480
greatly weakened by this development, brought
on primarily by the rise of science.
154
00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:05.960
As the German philosopher Fredrick Nietzsche declared
in eighteen eighty two, and maybe I
155
00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:13.440
should read this with a German accent, Friedrich, Friedrich, Sorry, Friedrich
156
00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:18.240
Nietici. He said God is dead. Now, that's the famous line.
157
00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:24.639
But he went on to say God
remains dead, and we have killed him.
158
00:15:24.759 --> 00:15:30.679
The belief in the Christian God has
become unbelievable. Everything that was built
159
00:15:30.759 --> 00:15:35.159
upon this faith, propped up by
it, grown into it, including the
160
00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:43.399
whole of our European morality, is
destined for collapse. When you give up
161
00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:50.919
Christian beliefs, you completely remove your
right to have Christian morality. This morality
162
00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:56.799
is not at all obviously true on
its own. Christianity is a system.
163
00:15:56.840 --> 00:16:00.600
It is a whole view of things
thought out together. When you remove the
164
00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:06.279
belief in God from it, you
make the whole thing fall apart. You
165
00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:10.960
will not have anything left that it
needs is somewhere else. I think he
166
00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.879
said God is dead, all is
permitted. Ah. That's or, as
167
00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:21.000
Joni Mitchell famously saying, you don't
know what you've got till it's gone right.
168
00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:26.720
Michael sue Grew, a favorite online
professor, says, quote, we
169
00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:32.840
are a culture on the whole that
no longer takes religion terribly seriously. We
170
00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:37.480
in some respects of outgrown mythological accounts
of the world, and yet we still
171
00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:41.360
need to do some of the things
that religion used to do. We need
172
00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.720
to make judgments about right and wrong. We need to make decisions about how
173
00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:48.960
to live our lives. And we
need to find some way of being really
174
00:16:49.080 --> 00:16:55.440
human in an age that seems set
against us discovering an effective individuality, of
175
00:16:55.519 --> 00:17:02.720
being something other than a cipher and
a social Security number. This is what
176
00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:07.880
we are struggling with in the twenty
first century. The whole thing is falling
177
00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:14.400
apart. It is a slow process, for sure, but a relentless one.
178
00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:23.519
So here are the symptoms of our
possible collapse. One moral relativism relativism
179
00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:29.559
is the belief that there's no absolute
truth, only the truths that are particular
180
00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:34.160
individual or culture happen to believe.
If you believe in relativism, then you
181
00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:41.759
think different people can have different views
about what's moral and in. Moral moral
182
00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:48.279
relativism is the view that moral judgments
are true or false only relative to some
183
00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:53.240
particular standpoint, for instance that of
a culture or historical period, and that
184
00:17:53.359 --> 00:18:00.799
no standpoint is uniquely privileged over all
others. There are are no universal moral
185
00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:07.519
principles. Ethical relativism is the theory
that holds that morality is relative to the
186
00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:12.400
norms of one's culture. That is, whether an action is right or wrong
187
00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:18.200
depends on the moral norms of the
society in which it is practiced. The
188
00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:23.359
same action may be morally right in
one society but me morally wrong in another
189
00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:30.759
individual. Moral relativism is the idea
that values vary from person to person,
190
00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:37.039
and each person has their own valid
set of morals. There is no concept
191
00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:44.279
of correct moral principles. Everything is
based on what an individual desires, and
192
00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:52.599
we're left with a Machiavellian predator species
unrestrained by Christian guilt or platonic morality.
193
00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:59.400
They're in control. People dance through
this subject pretty lightly. Stephen. I
194
00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:04.599
don't think they're drilling down enough on
the implications that lie behind it, and
195
00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:11.039
I don't disbelieve it. I mean, there are good reasons why we should
196
00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:17.759
accept relativism. It can be liberating, as our friend Tom Pacynski says,
197
00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:22.279
it might be liberating to to think, but there's no absolute right or wrong
198
00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:29.400
that's being dictated to you that restricts
your freedom when you believe something different,
199
00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:33.119
I'll make up my own truth.
Well, yeah, it's a complicated question.
200
00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:37.000
Ah, yes, But let's go
back to our friend Dr Michael sue
201
00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:44.599
Grew, who warns us, quote, it amounts to moral neialism. It
202
00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:51.079
is extremely dangerous. It's one of
the most dangerous tendencies of the twentieth century
203
00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:56.119
in terms of politics. Once we've
lost the possibility of an ethical theory,
204
00:19:56.279 --> 00:20:00.720
haven't we also lost the idea of
universal political theory. Doesn't this mean that
205
00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:04.839
we can objectifies all our judgments,
not just a moral order, but of
206
00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:11.839
correspondingly, of political order. Martin
Heidegger put on a swastika and gave a
207
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:17.680
truly rousing speech about the future of
the university under the New Reich in nineteen
208
00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:22.839
thirty six. It's okay to be
a Nazi because there aren't any rules left.
209
00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:27.640
We can make our own subjective judgment
and say I don't like that,
210
00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:33.880
which is analogous to saying I don't
like the taste of broccoli, or blue
211
00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:37.480
is my favorite color. The only
difficulty there is that as there's as many
212
00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.960
answers to the question whether Nazism is
good as there are people who want to
213
00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:48.240
answer the question, the problem is
we're left without any weapon to combat the
214
00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:53.359
nehalistic and genocidal tendencies of this age. I love Sugru and he's a hundred
215
00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.680
percent right, but he cracks me
up. I mean, if you can
216
00:20:56.680 --> 00:21:03.119
come here, if you can compare
are the question whether Nazism is good?
217
00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:10.119
Two, I don't like the texts, just like it's but but that's but
218
00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:12.480
he's right, that's exactly but he
but he mean he makes it real by
219
00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:17.240
doing that. That's when we and
we talked about this in other episodes where
220
00:21:17.319 --> 00:21:23.680
we talked about uh, Jean Francois
Leotard and um postmodernism, and that's that's
221
00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:29.920
where we are. I mean,
postmodernism didn't cause this to happen, but
222
00:21:30.119 --> 00:21:34.400
this is where we're at and our
society. Our society is a wash and
223
00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:42.200
self destructive tendencies. Now, for
example, lies, If morality is relative
224
00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:48.319
to the norms of one's culture,
and the culture consists of several groups,
225
00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:52.400
each with their own values and morals, then actions that were once transgressions,
226
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:59.720
like lies, are now acceptable in
a variety of circumstances. Most everyone agrees
227
00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:06.559
that politicians sometimes lie, people in
government must keep certain secrets for security reasons,
228
00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:11.000
and sometimes they lie to protect others. But many people now assume that
229
00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:19.599
politicians routinely lie to protect or enrich
themselves. Given a widespread relaxation of strictures
230
00:22:19.640 --> 00:22:26.000
against lying, someone like Donald Trump
telling thirty thousand lies in four years in
231
00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:30.440
office is not considered by the supporters
to be an issue. Many voters believe
232
00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:40.119
the media is biased and therefore disseminate
misinformation disinformation in its own interest, so
233
00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:48.440
the accusation that Trump lied constantly is
viewed as fake news conspiracy theories. These
234
00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:56.720
are mostly egregious lies. Some are
theories with actual evidence or strange contradictions and
235
00:22:56.759 --> 00:23:00.519
so on, but most are neither
theory snore. Anything having to do with
236
00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:06.519
an actual conspiracy unless you count the
person who invented it and the other people
237
00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:12.920
who spread it. Pizza Gate is
an incredible example about a Hillary Clinton pedophile
238
00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:19.519
sex ring being run out of a
Washington pizzeria's basement when the restaurant in question
239
00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:23.079
had no basement. Well, the
fact that it had no basement art.
240
00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:27.599
I think there's bigger problems with that
than the fact that it had no basement.
241
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:34.559
But well, yeah, but it
was pretty easily debunked by anybody who
242
00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:38.960
took a stroll to the restaurant said
let me see your basement. It was
243
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:44.960
total nonsense. And yet there's a
lot of people eager to believe stuff like
244
00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:49.319
that. Oh yeah, so we've
really become like a divided society. Our
245
00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:55.759
society itself has fractured. We've always
had divisions. The Civil War in eighteen
246
00:23:55.880 --> 00:24:00.640
sixty and the fascist movement in the
nineteen thirties are clear examples, but the
247
00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:06.960
current brand of civil division is very
dangerous given the arming and threat of violence
248
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:11.480
that has swept this country. In
the words of W. B. Yates,
249
00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:17.880
the best lack all conviction, while
the worst are full of passionate intensity.
250
00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:22.359
The divisions in our society align people
to the point that the end justifies
251
00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:30.000
the means lying. Intimidation and violence
are permissible in the service of one's group
252
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:37.200
or what one considers the right thing
to do. So this results in several
253
00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:47.000
really unfortunate predispositions. One is political
malaise. Now, malaise is a state
254
00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:52.240
in which there's something wrong with a
society or group for which there does not
255
00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:57.000
seem to be a quick or easy
solution. Economic malaise refers to an economy
256
00:24:57.240 --> 00:25:03.680
that is stagnant or in recession.
Political malaise means there's something wrong with the
257
00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:10.680
political climate, in this case,
a breakdown in the system. Political systems
258
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:18.119
depend on a constitution or charter,
a body of fundamental principles or established precedents
259
00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:23.559
according to which a state or other
organization is acknowledged to be governed. Is
260
00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:30.119
a rule book for a country.
Political systems also depend on laws that define
261
00:25:30.200 --> 00:25:36.000
and fine tune the allowable actions,
as well as traditions that are time honored
262
00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:42.680
customs that are universally understood and valued. Traditions guide what is considered acceptable decorum,
263
00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:48.759
important decisions, and rituals. Tradition
encompasses a way of thinking, behaving,
264
00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:53.160
and doing. The United states and
it's fractured divisions. In the twenty
265
00:25:53.160 --> 00:26:02.240
one century no longer honored traditions.
It barely followed the letter of the laws.
266
00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:08.160
But without conforming to traditions, the
political system unraveled. The media no
267
00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:15.279
longer followed traditions of journalism that had
undergirded news reporting for a hundred years.
268
00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:26.880
Democracy inundated with contradictory opinions and twisted
truth began to be shredded. Deception was
269
00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:33.559
constant and everywhere, opinions were presented
as evidence. Conspiracy theories were treated as
270
00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:40.079
fact. People lost faith in the
system. They distrusted elections on every level.
271
00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:48.000
Government officials abandoned routine systems that safeguarded
elections and therefore government legitimacy. It
272
00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:56.079
became impossible to address major crucial issues. Then we have climate chaos. This
273
00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:02.039
is one of the crucial issues that
political malaise and a divided society could not
274
00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:07.039
address. The two sides could not
agree if it was even occurring. Then
275
00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:11.759
they agreed on the temperature getting warmer, but not that it was a crisis.
276
00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:15.119
They could not agree that climate change
was being caused by human activity,
277
00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:18.599
or to what extent it was being
caused. By human activity. They could
278
00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:23.799
not agree that curtailing corporate profits by
any degree, or increasing government expense and
279
00:27:23.839 --> 00:27:30.680
paying related taxes by any amount in
the fight against climate change was necessary or
280
00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:34.720
desirable. Needless to say, there
was not agreement on what, if any
281
00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:40.640
action to take. And then,
of course there's the threat of nuclear war.
282
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:45.680
Now this had been averted for seventy
seven years through the Cold War and
283
00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:52.519
proliferation of nuclear weapons. The twenty
one century, there are nine countries with
284
00:27:52.640 --> 00:28:00.640
nuclear weapons. The worldwide total inventory
of nukes is thirteen thousand, eighty and
285
00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:07.680
more than are owned by either Russia
or the United States. The Russian invasion
286
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:11.920
of Ukraine raised the fear of nuclear
conflict to a level not seen for thirty
287
00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:18.799
years or more. The world divided
into large, powerful camps. The United
288
00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:22.720
States, Europe, and the majority
of the United Nations allied against Russia,
289
00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:30.119
but autocratic Russia and Iran stood against
the democratic Western countries, with India,
290
00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:36.200
North Korea, and China leaning towards
siding with Russia. We in the US
291
00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:41.480
couldn't agree on negotiating with Russia for
peace. Our nation's self esteem based on
292
00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:49.720
belief in our righteousness, nationalism,
exceptionalism, and our superpower left no room
293
00:28:49.799 --> 00:28:56.480
for us to compromise. For some
of us, our immortality project may be
294
00:28:56.599 --> 00:29:00.440
worth dying for. At this point
in our history, we do not know
295
00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:07.920
the outcome of this conflict, but
the danger is very real. Economic inequality
296
00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:15.160
a major issue for which there is
no agreement. Many conservatives and libertarians still
297
00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:22.079
believe income and wealth inequality is an
essential element of freedom. Others maintain it
298
00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:26.279
is an inevitable result of both human
nature and the decline of the American Empire.
299
00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:33.359
Most economists maintain the gross inequality experienced
in the twenty one century US is
300
00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:40.440
deplorable and destructive. With the decline
of religion to provide purpose and meaning,
301
00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:45.720
our cultural value of wealth has risen
to be a significant symbolic defense against death
302
00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:52.839
anxiety. As such, there is
no upper limit to wealth. One simply
303
00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:59.279
cannot have too much symbolic death anxiety
defense. Beginning in the nineteen eighties,
304
00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:07.279
the upper one percent, following the
economic ideology called neoliberalism, manipulated the tax
305
00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:12.359
system, destroyed the labor unions,
and reduced or eliminated corporate regulation, all
306
00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:19.000
to their own advantage. The result
is massive wealth in relatively few hands and
307
00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:26.319
disadvantage for the majority of working people. And then, of course there's mental
308
00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:33.079
health. Our society is suffering from
a variety of psychological ailments, anxiety three
309
00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:38.759
point one percent of the US population, depression nearly ten percent of Americans,
310
00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:48.440
stress fifty and addictions of various kinds
ten Suicide is a leading cause of death
311
00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:55.640
in the United States with forty five
thousand. This is about one suicide every
312
00:30:55.680 --> 00:31:00.920
eleven minutes. The number of people
who think of, about, or attempt
313
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:07.920
suicide is even higher. In and
estimated, twelve point two million American adults
314
00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:14.799
seriously thought about suicide, three point
two million planned a suicide attempt, and
315
00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:22.119
one point two million attempted suicides.
Twenty one century, psychological ailments in America
316
00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:27.799
required a comprehensive public health approach,
which, of course, we never got
317
00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:36.680
around to the future. Presently,
eight percent of Americans say they are either
318
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:47.680
extremely or very worried about the future. They share concerns about health care,
319
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:56.720
human rights, violence against LGBT people, racism, domestic violence, gender inequality,
320
00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:04.279
and economic inequality. In the Gay
Science, Friedrich Nietici says, quote,
321
00:32:04.279 --> 00:32:08.920
where are we headed? Are we
not endlessly plunging backwards? Sideways?
322
00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:14.400
Forwards in all directions? Is there
an up and a down? Anymore?
323
00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:20.759
Do we not wander as if through
an endless nothingness? Nietzsche seemed to be
324
00:32:20.759 --> 00:32:28.240
describing our twenty one century world that
he did, So where is their hope?
325
00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:30.119
That's usually your line. I don't
know why I'm asking that, but
326
00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:34.000
where is especially because I don't know
really what to say? I mean,
327
00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:37.279
I always like the question, and
some of our guests have have found some
328
00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:43.440
answer. But as usual here we're
looking for hope. And if my favorite
329
00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:46.559
historian Jacques Barzon is right, we
don't expect things to improve much for at
330
00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:52.880
least the next hundred years. Everything
is pointing to a regrettable period ahead of
331
00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:58.920
us. As we said, our
hope here is that we are preserving important
332
00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:04.119
ideas that you in the future will
value. Perhaps the study of our time
333
00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:08.319
will help explain whatever future you find
yourself in. Perhaps you'll be part of
334
00:33:08.359 --> 00:33:14.880
the effort to create a new civilization. That is our hope. Like the
335
00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:20.640
environmentalist who humbly plants a tree seedling
in his later years, we don't expect
336
00:33:20.640 --> 00:33:24.960
to see the fruits of our efforts
in our lifetimes. Yet we are grateful
337
00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:30.920
for the benefits this one tree can
offer. The endeavor is a hopeful one.
338
00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:37.720
We trust in the power of humility, gratitude and hope. Let's hope
339
00:33:37.720 --> 00:33:44.559
Steve that these are important ideas.
I think they are important ideas. As
340
00:33:44.599 --> 00:33:47.880
always, this is where we normally
say, folks, join us next time,
341
00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:52.119
please recommend us to your friends.
Will stay with that, But as
342
00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:55.400
far as next time is going to
be a little while from now, we've
343
00:33:55.440 --> 00:34:00.079
decided to give the Hub for Important
Ideas podcast a little rest and turn our
344
00:34:00.119 --> 00:34:05.480
attentions to some other efforts that we've
been looking at and working on in the
345
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:10.960
background. We may be back in
the future more Important Ideas, but for
346
00:34:12.039 --> 00:34:17.000
now we're gonna let this be a
capstone for what we have hoped is a
347
00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:25.400
fifty episode series that you found some
value in amen to that. It has
348
00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:30.480
been our pleasure and privilege to bring
you what we consider important ideas and the
349
00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:36.239
voices of so many thoughtful people in
these fifty episodes. Over the last two
350
00:34:36.280 --> 00:34:40.639
and a half years, what started
as something to do during the pandemic turned
351
00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:45.760
into an immortality project for us with
a life of its own. We're taking
352
00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:52.199
a break, but we're not done
with the Important ideas for now. I'm
353
00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:57.760
humble and grateful for the opportunity to
have spoken to you from the heart.
354
00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:04.440
It's been an amazing and ever thank
you for being part of it. I'm
355
00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:08.000
Steve James and I'm Ken Swayne.
Stay safe, everybody, stay well.
356
00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:14.920
This has been a contemporary heroism initiative. Production M
1
00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:11.960
Why have we been doing what we
have been doing? Welcome to the Hub
2
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:16.679
for Important Ideas. I'm Steve James
and I'm Ken Swain. This episode is
3
00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:20.920
called Message in a Bottle because we're
going to speak directly to the people of
4
00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:26.239
the future two hundred years from now. We hope they will find this recording
5
00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.320
and know how to play it back
to hear our description of the twenty one
6
00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:35.479
century. We're assuming that someone is
there to hear us. Like the ancient,
7
00:00:36.439 --> 00:00:42.240
like the ancient Irish monks who preserved
Latin and Greek learning in Ireland during
8
00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:49.119
the early Middle Ages, we're doing
our sort of our own monk thing and
9
00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:54.600
preserving important ideas that you in the
future may need for either the study of
10
00:00:54.640 --> 00:01:00.759
our time or for the creation of
a new civilization. We can is Swain
11
00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:06.959
Swain Irish? No Swain is Swain
is English? Waspy. I'm I'm the
12
00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:11.439
person they hate the most, and
you're you're kind of waspy on both sides.
13
00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:15.439
Yes, I really am there.
I'm Lospy on my father's side and
14
00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:19.560
Austrian on my mother. So there's
no Irish. Well, there's some Irish
15
00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:23.000
and my father's family, but we'll
just go ahead, We'll just be monks,
16
00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:27.200
and we won't will be monks,
and forget about the Irish Park.
17
00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:33.079
So we thought. We thought of
at least five possible futures, each one
18
00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:38.200
of them very different, and we
can't possibly predict which one or more of
19
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:44.120
these will happen. Number one is
that humans will be replaced entirely by machines.
20
00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:48.400
Number two is that there will be
a few humans left who are living
21
00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:53.280
in huts and hovels. Number three, it's something like star trek yep.
22
00:01:53.560 --> 00:02:00.400
That's a good one. Number four, humanity has genetically engineered a master like
23
00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:07.519
Homo days. That's like, you've
all no Harari man gods. Mhm uh.
24
00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:10.719
Five. We just gave up and
said the future is completely unimaginable for
25
00:02:10.840 --> 00:02:15.479
us here in the twenty one century, right, But of course I had
26
00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:19.800
to I had to be Mr Doom
and Gloom and say that there is another
27
00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:25.120
possibility, and that is that we've
completely blown ourselves to bits and there's nothing
28
00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:30.599
left man or machine on the planet
to hear this, and if and if
29
00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:34.560
so, oh well it was nice
while it lasted. I had to laugh.
30
00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:38.800
But but our our technology continues to
increase, and there does not seem
31
00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:45.840
to be a corresponding increase in intelligence
or wisdom or the ability to handle our
32
00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:50.159
stuff. You know, this is
this is something really really awful. Anyway,
33
00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:53.680
it's true. We will assume,
okay, we'll assume that there is
34
00:02:53.759 --> 00:03:00.240
somebody who will hear this, So
we want to talk about somebody. DA
35
00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:05.680
is that we're not expressed much in
the news media, textbooks, other publications
36
00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:10.000
of our time. The media of
our day tended to focus on politics,
37
00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:15.479
economics, social divisions, and equality. War. Climate change is a big
38
00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:20.759
one. We think those are important
topics, but we want to bring in
39
00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:27.280
a vitally important component that underlies many
of these issues. We want to discuss
40
00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:35.159
human motivation and the importance of understanding
the role it played in forging our future,
41
00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.919
which is of course your present two
hundred years from now. We want
42
00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:45.520
to discuss the role death anxiety played
for us in this era. We're gonna
43
00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:49.639
put a little uh disclaimer here,
Steve that we're going to talk about some
44
00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:53.159
stuff that makes a lot of people
uncomfortable. And if people and our people
45
00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:58.479
and now people at our time makes
very uncomfortable, yeah, but the people
46
00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:00.520
in the future, they may they
may have embraced it. They may have
47
00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.759
taken it in somehow and not been
so freaked out by it. We're freaked
48
00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:08.360
out by it for good reason.
And uh so, if people have a
49
00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:13.960
functioning system that's working for them,
keep doing that, and what do we
50
00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:17.680
know anyway, don't listen to us. So you in the future you may
51
00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:21.720
understand this already. We hope that
you do. But even if you do,
52
00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:26.519
please take this one time to hear
our take on things. You may
53
00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:31.040
find it illuminating. Even if you're
a machine, or you're some homodeous creature
54
00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.879
that's genetically designed to live five years. Even if you live in a Star
55
00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:42.000
Trek future populated with contented people who
have miraculously managed to overcome human nature,
56
00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:46.000
or if you live in a world
that's beyond our understanding, we may still
57
00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:49.480
have something you haven't thought of.
After all, our role as forebears is
58
00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:56.800
no small thing. We're kind of
responsible for you being there, and we
59
00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:01.480
have explanations for how you got where
you are. Okay, Now, if
60
00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:08.319
you're an unfortunate human or a group
of survivors in a dystopian future, we
61
00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:15.240
offer our sincere apologies. We we
are not key people responsible for cutting down
62
00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:23.480
forests or mining coal. But we
do drive gasoline powered cars now, and
63
00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:28.600
we do heat our homes with oil
now, and we use electricity that's been
64
00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:32.759
generated with fossil fuels, and we
buy food that's been produced by polluting agriculture
65
00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:41.399
systems. We buy consumer goods manufactured
and polluting factories. So we are complicit,
66
00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:45.800
and we understand if you blame us
for your failed civilization and your poisoned
67
00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:50.240
world. We're not executives of the
oil companies, but we're going along for
68
00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:56.319
the ride. Yeah, I guess
maya copa, maya copa man maximum copa.
69
00:05:56.839 --> 00:05:58.800
You have to you have to say
that. You have to say that.
70
00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:05.519
Yeah. So let's look at death
anxiety and its central role in human
71
00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:13.399
motivation. Many of our ideas come
from the late twentieth century thinker Ernest Becker.
72
00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:20.079
So all traditional humans die eventually for
us in the twenty one century,
73
00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:26.720
twenty years seems to be the maximum, and only in exceedingly rare cases.
74
00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:30.439
Most of us don't get anywhere near
that, and the way things are going
75
00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:36.120
now, wouldn't really want to,
right. There are unusual animals in our
76
00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:41.319
time, mainly sea creatures that can
live two hundred to five hundred years.
77
00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:46.319
Like sharks and whales and clams.
We aspire to live longer like them,
78
00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:50.920
but don't yet understand the aging process. For humans, you in the future
79
00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:55.959
may have worked it out and maybe
living five hundred years. What we do
80
00:06:56.040 --> 00:07:00.040
have in common with all under other
animals is the will to survive. We
81
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:06.279
sometimes call it the survival instinct.
Like all animals, we do what is
82
00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:12.319
necessary to survive long enough to reproduce, and like many complex animals, we
83
00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:16.000
strive to live long enough to care
for our young. One of our primary
84
00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:23.800
survival mechanisms that we share with other
animals is fear. Fear is an unpleasant
85
00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:29.480
feeling triggered by the perception of danger. Real or imagined. Fear can be
86
00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:34.399
controlled, what we call repressed or
suppressed, to allow an animal to function,
87
00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:40.480
to flee, to fight, or
to freeze. In humans, the
88
00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:46.879
unconscious imperfect suppression of fear, or
the conscious repression of fear we call just
89
00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:53.439
repression. For short, repression of
fear is necessary for survival, but ours
90
00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:57.920
is not complete. It's imperfect,
Otherwise it would not work to keep us
91
00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:03.120
motivated to stay alive sane. Humans
can control fear, but we can't eliminate
92
00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:11.319
it. Like our animal cousins,
our control must be imperfect for evolutionary reasons.
93
00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:20.399
In our century, sane adult humans
using inductive and deductive reasoning are able
94
00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:24.240
to determine that they will eventually die. As far as we know, we're
95
00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:31.000
the only species who have the intellectual
capability to predict the future. This process
96
00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:39.159
produces in us an emotion akin to
fear. We are profoundly uncomfortable when we
97
00:08:39.240 --> 00:08:46.480
think about our inevitable deaths. We
call this emotion dread. Dread is a
98
00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:52.279
potentially debilitating emotion that is subtly different
from fear. Many people claim that they
99
00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:56.759
do not fear death, which is
true. A knife at my throat will
100
00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:03.799
cause fear. All animals react to
danger in this way. However, imagining
101
00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:11.240
my inevitable but not imminent death will
cause dread, something no other animal experiences
102
00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:16.600
as far as we know. So
these two human traits, the survival instinct
103
00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:24.000
and the certain knowledge of our mortality, are in conflict and can cause severe
104
00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:31.720
psychological harm in anyone ill equipped to
handle the emotional conundrum. We see this
105
00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:35.919
in some people that we call mentally
ill. The feeling this conflict produces in
106
00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:46.320
us causes anticipation with great apprehension as
we understand it. Our defenses against dread,
107
00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:52.240
like our ability to control fear,
are imperfect. Our ability to consciously
108
00:09:52.320 --> 00:10:00.399
suppress or unconsciously repress the dread of
death must be imperfect for evolutionary reasons.
109
00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:05.840
The result is that some residual form
of fear remains. We call this residual
110
00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:13.759
fear death anxiety, something we assume
all humans have shared over thousands of years.
111
00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:20.639
Cultures exist primarily to defend us against
death anxiety and free us to function
112
00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:26.000
in the service of the group and
advance our species. For the majority of
113
00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:31.679
us humans are most common psychological defense
against the malady of knowing we will die
114
00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:37.960
is denial. This is why Ernest
Becker titled his Pulitzer Prize winning book The
115
00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:43.960
Denial of Death. We pretend death
is not inevitable in our day to day
116
00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:50.399
lives. Our denial takes many forms, but the most successful and over the
117
00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:56.840
over the centuries is religion. All
major religions through thousands of years of human
118
00:10:56.919 --> 00:11:03.799
history fortify their believers with the promise
of actual immortality, which means they will
119
00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:11.360
not die, reincarnation, resurrection and
immortal soul, and eternal life in heaven
120
00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:16.960
with God and the angels all promised
life beyond mortal death and defend their adherents
121
00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.039
against death anxiety. The country we
inhabit, the United States of America,
122
00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:28.039
was founded by religious zealots called Pilgrims
and Puritans, and a variety of Christian
123
00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:33.960
believers. Many of the founders practiced
to faith called deism. These are all
124
00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:41.480
excellent defenses against death anxiety. There
are other forms of symbolic immortality, like
125
00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:46.960
wealth, fame, power, beauty, and achievement that had Having children is
126
00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:56.159
another one that bolster our self esteem, a primary psychological defense against death anxiety.
127
00:11:56.360 --> 00:12:01.559
Culture is defined as the social behavior
institute sans and norms found in human
128
00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:07.639
societies. I have another definition of
culture that I'd like to insert here.
129
00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:15.759
Culture is the particular style that a
society adopts to lie to itself about the
130
00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:22.360
nature of reality. I love it, Isn't that good? Yeah? It
131
00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:28.840
is a way humans organize and express
their knowledge, belief, arts, laws,
132
00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:35.000
customs, capabilities, and traditions.
The primary function of culture is to
133
00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:41.799
defend against death anxiety with stratagems for
self esteem called heroism. I know this
134
00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:46.039
is a lot to take in,
but follow along with us and it will
135
00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:54.879
start to make sense. I hope
these many opportunities for literal or symbolic immortality,
136
00:12:54.120 --> 00:13:03.600
our defenses against death anxiety are causes
for things like great achievement, morality,
137
00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:09.879
ethics, and social cohesion. They're
also causes of great evil, like
138
00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:16.080
wars, persecution, and hatred.
Opportunities for immortality what some of us call
139
00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:26.679
immortality projects our primary human motivators over
the centuries. Immortality projects include building pyramids
140
00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:33.759
and temples, uniting groups of people
into societies and nations, scientific discoveries and
141
00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:41.080
inventions, creations of empires and large
corporations, and devotion to families and the
142
00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:48.080
young. As we understand it,
our defenses against death anxiety are imperfect.
143
00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:58.120
But the combination of literal immortality promised
by religion and symbolic immortality provided by opportunities
144
00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:07.200
for heroism keep death anxiety at bay
and enable us to function successfully. So
145
00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:13.480
the problem our society faces today is
the decline in the power of religion within
146
00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:18.519
our culture. Many, if not
most, of us still give religion lip
147
00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:22.960
service, practicing it once a week
or less, but it in no way
148
00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:28.440
matches our pilgrim and puritan ancestors devotion. We rarely, if ever talk about
149
00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:33.960
a creator, let alone follow his
commands. We spend far more of our
150
00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:41.159
time thinking about work, money,
achievement, and social status, all alternative
151
00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:46.639
sources of self esteem. They're all
symbolic defenses against death anxiety, but without
152
00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:54.000
the cosmic certainty of an actual immortality
guaranteed by religion. Our culture is being
153
00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:58.480
greatly weakened by this development, brought
on primarily by the rise of science.
154
00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:05.960
As the German philosopher Fredrick Nietzsche declared
in eighteen eighty two, and maybe I
155
00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:13.440
should read this with a German accent, Friedrich, Friedrich, Sorry, Friedrich
156
00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:18.240
Nietici. He said God is dead. Now, that's the famous line.
157
00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:24.639
But he went on to say God
remains dead, and we have killed him.
158
00:15:24.759 --> 00:15:30.679
The belief in the Christian God has
become unbelievable. Everything that was built
159
00:15:30.759 --> 00:15:35.159
upon this faith, propped up by
it, grown into it, including the
160
00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:43.399
whole of our European morality, is
destined for collapse. When you give up
161
00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:50.919
Christian beliefs, you completely remove your
right to have Christian morality. This morality
162
00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:56.799
is not at all obviously true on
its own. Christianity is a system.
163
00:15:56.840 --> 00:16:00.600
It is a whole view of things
thought out together. When you remove the
164
00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:06.279
belief in God from it, you
make the whole thing fall apart. You
165
00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:10.960
will not have anything left that it
needs is somewhere else. I think he
166
00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.879
said God is dead, all is
permitted. Ah. That's or, as
167
00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:21.000
Joni Mitchell famously saying, you don't
know what you've got till it's gone right.
168
00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:26.720
Michael sue Grew, a favorite online
professor, says, quote, we
169
00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:32.840
are a culture on the whole that
no longer takes religion terribly seriously. We
170
00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:37.480
in some respects of outgrown mythological accounts
of the world, and yet we still
171
00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:41.360
need to do some of the things
that religion used to do. We need
172
00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.720
to make judgments about right and wrong. We need to make decisions about how
173
00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:48.960
to live our lives. And we
need to find some way of being really
174
00:16:49.080 --> 00:16:55.440
human in an age that seems set
against us discovering an effective individuality, of
175
00:16:55.519 --> 00:17:02.720
being something other than a cipher and
a social Security number. This is what
176
00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:07.880
we are struggling with in the twenty
first century. The whole thing is falling
177
00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:14.400
apart. It is a slow process, for sure, but a relentless one.
178
00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:23.519
So here are the symptoms of our
possible collapse. One moral relativism relativism
179
00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:29.559
is the belief that there's no absolute
truth, only the truths that are particular
180
00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:34.160
individual or culture happen to believe.
If you believe in relativism, then you
181
00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:41.759
think different people can have different views
about what's moral and in. Moral moral
182
00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:48.279
relativism is the view that moral judgments
are true or false only relative to some
183
00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:53.240
particular standpoint, for instance that of
a culture or historical period, and that
184
00:17:53.359 --> 00:18:00.799
no standpoint is uniquely privileged over all
others. There are are no universal moral
185
00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:07.519
principles. Ethical relativism is the theory
that holds that morality is relative to the
186
00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:12.400
norms of one's culture. That is, whether an action is right or wrong
187
00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:18.200
depends on the moral norms of the
society in which it is practiced. The
188
00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:23.359
same action may be morally right in
one society but me morally wrong in another
189
00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:30.759
individual. Moral relativism is the idea
that values vary from person to person,
190
00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:37.039
and each person has their own valid
set of morals. There is no concept
191
00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:44.279
of correct moral principles. Everything is
based on what an individual desires, and
192
00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:52.599
we're left with a Machiavellian predator species
unrestrained by Christian guilt or platonic morality.
193
00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:59.400
They're in control. People dance through
this subject pretty lightly. Stephen. I
194
00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:04.599
don't think they're drilling down enough on
the implications that lie behind it, and
195
00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:11.039
I don't disbelieve it. I mean, there are good reasons why we should
196
00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:17.759
accept relativism. It can be liberating, as our friend Tom Pacynski says,
197
00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:22.279
it might be liberating to to think, but there's no absolute right or wrong
198
00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:29.400
that's being dictated to you that restricts
your freedom when you believe something different,
199
00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:33.119
I'll make up my own truth.
Well, yeah, it's a complicated question.
200
00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:37.000
Ah, yes, But let's go
back to our friend Dr Michael sue
201
00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:44.599
Grew, who warns us, quote, it amounts to moral neialism. It
202
00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:51.079
is extremely dangerous. It's one of
the most dangerous tendencies of the twentieth century
203
00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:56.119
in terms of politics. Once we've
lost the possibility of an ethical theory,
204
00:19:56.279 --> 00:20:00.720
haven't we also lost the idea of
universal political theory. Doesn't this mean that
205
00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:04.839
we can objectifies all our judgments,
not just a moral order, but of
206
00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:11.839
correspondingly, of political order. Martin
Heidegger put on a swastika and gave a
207
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:17.680
truly rousing speech about the future of
the university under the New Reich in nineteen
208
00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:22.839
thirty six. It's okay to be
a Nazi because there aren't any rules left.
209
00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:27.640
We can make our own subjective judgment
and say I don't like that,
210
00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:33.880
which is analogous to saying I don't
like the taste of broccoli, or blue
211
00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:37.480
is my favorite color. The only
difficulty there is that as there's as many
212
00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.960
answers to the question whether Nazism is
good as there are people who want to
213
00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:48.240
answer the question, the problem is
we're left without any weapon to combat the
214
00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:53.359
nehalistic and genocidal tendencies of this age. I love Sugru and he's a hundred
215
00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.680
percent right, but he cracks me
up. I mean, if you can
216
00:20:56.680 --> 00:21:03.119
come here, if you can compare
are the question whether Nazism is good?
217
00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:10.119
Two, I don't like the texts, just like it's but but that's but
218
00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:12.480
he's right, that's exactly but he
but he mean he makes it real by
219
00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:17.240
doing that. That's when we and
we talked about this in other episodes where
220
00:21:17.319 --> 00:21:23.680
we talked about uh, Jean Francois
Leotard and um postmodernism, and that's that's
221
00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:29.920
where we are. I mean,
postmodernism didn't cause this to happen, but
222
00:21:30.119 --> 00:21:34.400
this is where we're at and our
society. Our society is a wash and
223
00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:42.200
self destructive tendencies. Now, for
example, lies, If morality is relative
224
00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:48.319
to the norms of one's culture,
and the culture consists of several groups,
225
00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:52.400
each with their own values and morals, then actions that were once transgressions,
226
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:59.720
like lies, are now acceptable in
a variety of circumstances. Most everyone agrees
227
00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:06.559
that politicians sometimes lie, people in
government must keep certain secrets for security reasons,
228
00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:11.000
and sometimes they lie to protect others. But many people now assume that
229
00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:19.599
politicians routinely lie to protect or enrich
themselves. Given a widespread relaxation of strictures
230
00:22:19.640 --> 00:22:26.000
against lying, someone like Donald Trump
telling thirty thousand lies in four years in
231
00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:30.440
office is not considered by the supporters
to be an issue. Many voters believe
232
00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:40.119
the media is biased and therefore disseminate
misinformation disinformation in its own interest, so
233
00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:48.440
the accusation that Trump lied constantly is
viewed as fake news conspiracy theories. These
234
00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:56.720
are mostly egregious lies. Some are
theories with actual evidence or strange contradictions and
235
00:22:56.759 --> 00:23:00.519
so on, but most are neither
theory snore. Anything having to do with
236
00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:06.519
an actual conspiracy unless you count the
person who invented it and the other people
237
00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:12.920
who spread it. Pizza Gate is
an incredible example about a Hillary Clinton pedophile
238
00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:19.519
sex ring being run out of a
Washington pizzeria's basement when the restaurant in question
239
00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:23.079
had no basement. Well, the
fact that it had no basement art.
240
00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:27.599
I think there's bigger problems with that
than the fact that it had no basement.
241
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:34.559
But well, yeah, but it
was pretty easily debunked by anybody who
242
00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:38.960
took a stroll to the restaurant said
let me see your basement. It was
243
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:44.960
total nonsense. And yet there's a
lot of people eager to believe stuff like
244
00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:49.319
that. Oh yeah, so we've
really become like a divided society. Our
245
00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:55.759
society itself has fractured. We've always
had divisions. The Civil War in eighteen
246
00:23:55.880 --> 00:24:00.640
sixty and the fascist movement in the
nineteen thirties are clear examples, but the
247
00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:06.960
current brand of civil division is very
dangerous given the arming and threat of violence
248
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:11.480
that has swept this country. In
the words of W. B. Yates,
249
00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:17.880
the best lack all conviction, while
the worst are full of passionate intensity.
250
00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:22.359
The divisions in our society align people
to the point that the end justifies
251
00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:30.000
the means lying. Intimidation and violence
are permissible in the service of one's group
252
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:37.200
or what one considers the right thing
to do. So this results in several
253
00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:47.000
really unfortunate predispositions. One is political
malaise. Now, malaise is a state
254
00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:52.240
in which there's something wrong with a
society or group for which there does not
255
00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:57.000
seem to be a quick or easy
solution. Economic malaise refers to an economy
256
00:24:57.240 --> 00:25:03.680
that is stagnant or in recession.
Political malaise means there's something wrong with the
257
00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:10.680
political climate, in this case,
a breakdown in the system. Political systems
258
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:18.119
depend on a constitution or charter,
a body of fundamental principles or established precedents
259
00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:23.559
according to which a state or other
organization is acknowledged to be governed. Is
260
00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:30.119
a rule book for a country.
Political systems also depend on laws that define
261
00:25:30.200 --> 00:25:36.000
and fine tune the allowable actions,
as well as traditions that are time honored
262
00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:42.680
customs that are universally understood and valued. Traditions guide what is considered acceptable decorum,
263
00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:48.759
important decisions, and rituals. Tradition
encompasses a way of thinking, behaving,
264
00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:53.160
and doing. The United states and
it's fractured divisions. In the twenty
265
00:25:53.160 --> 00:26:02.240
one century no longer honored traditions.
It barely followed the letter of the laws.
266
00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:08.160
But without conforming to traditions, the
political system unraveled. The media no
267
00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:15.279
longer followed traditions of journalism that had
undergirded news reporting for a hundred years.
268
00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:26.880
Democracy inundated with contradictory opinions and twisted
truth began to be shredded. Deception was
269
00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:33.559
constant and everywhere, opinions were presented
as evidence. Conspiracy theories were treated as
270
00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:40.079
fact. People lost faith in the
system. They distrusted elections on every level.
271
00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:48.000
Government officials abandoned routine systems that safeguarded
elections and therefore government legitimacy. It
272
00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:56.079
became impossible to address major crucial issues. Then we have climate chaos. This
273
00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:02.039
is one of the crucial issues that
political malaise and a divided society could not
274
00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:07.039
address. The two sides could not
agree if it was even occurring. Then
275
00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:11.759
they agreed on the temperature getting warmer, but not that it was a crisis.
276
00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:15.119
They could not agree that climate change
was being caused by human activity,
277
00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:18.599
or to what extent it was being
caused. By human activity. They could
278
00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:23.799
not agree that curtailing corporate profits by
any degree, or increasing government expense and
279
00:27:23.839 --> 00:27:30.680
paying related taxes by any amount in
the fight against climate change was necessary or
280
00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:34.720
desirable. Needless to say, there
was not agreement on what, if any
281
00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:40.640
action to take. And then,
of course there's the threat of nuclear war.
282
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:45.680
Now this had been averted for seventy
seven years through the Cold War and
283
00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:52.519
proliferation of nuclear weapons. The twenty
one century, there are nine countries with
284
00:27:52.640 --> 00:28:00.640
nuclear weapons. The worldwide total inventory
of nukes is thirteen thousand, eighty and
285
00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:07.680
more than are owned by either Russia
or the United States. The Russian invasion
286
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:11.920
of Ukraine raised the fear of nuclear
conflict to a level not seen for thirty
287
00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:18.799
years or more. The world divided
into large, powerful camps. The United
288
00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:22.720
States, Europe, and the majority
of the United Nations allied against Russia,
289
00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:30.119
but autocratic Russia and Iran stood against
the democratic Western countries, with India,
290
00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:36.200
North Korea, and China leaning towards
siding with Russia. We in the US
291
00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:41.480
couldn't agree on negotiating with Russia for
peace. Our nation's self esteem based on
292
00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:49.720
belief in our righteousness, nationalism,
exceptionalism, and our superpower left no room
293
00:28:49.799 --> 00:28:56.480
for us to compromise. For some
of us, our immortality project may be
294
00:28:56.599 --> 00:29:00.440
worth dying for. At this point
in our history, we do not know
295
00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:07.920
the outcome of this conflict, but
the danger is very real. Economic inequality
296
00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:15.160
a major issue for which there is
no agreement. Many conservatives and libertarians still
297
00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:22.079
believe income and wealth inequality is an
essential element of freedom. Others maintain it
298
00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:26.279
is an inevitable result of both human
nature and the decline of the American Empire.
299
00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:33.359
Most economists maintain the gross inequality experienced
in the twenty one century US is
300
00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:40.440
deplorable and destructive. With the decline
of religion to provide purpose and meaning,
301
00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:45.720
our cultural value of wealth has risen
to be a significant symbolic defense against death
302
00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:52.839
anxiety. As such, there is
no upper limit to wealth. One simply
303
00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:59.279
cannot have too much symbolic death anxiety
defense. Beginning in the nineteen eighties,
304
00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:07.279
the upper one percent, following the
economic ideology called neoliberalism, manipulated the tax
305
00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:12.359
system, destroyed the labor unions,
and reduced or eliminated corporate regulation, all
306
00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:19.000
to their own advantage. The result
is massive wealth in relatively few hands and
307
00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:26.319
disadvantage for the majority of working people. And then, of course there's mental
308
00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:33.079
health. Our society is suffering from
a variety of psychological ailments, anxiety three
309
00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:38.759
point one percent of the US population, depression nearly ten percent of Americans,
310
00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:48.440
stress fifty and addictions of various kinds
ten Suicide is a leading cause of death
311
00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:55.640
in the United States with forty five
thousand. This is about one suicide every
312
00:30:55.680 --> 00:31:00.920
eleven minutes. The number of people
who think of, about, or attempt
313
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:07.920
suicide is even higher. In and
estimated, twelve point two million American adults
314
00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:14.799
seriously thought about suicide, three point
two million planned a suicide attempt, and
315
00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:22.119
one point two million attempted suicides.
Twenty one century, psychological ailments in America
316
00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:27.799
required a comprehensive public health approach,
which, of course, we never got
317
00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:36.680
around to the future. Presently,
eight percent of Americans say they are either
318
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:47.680
extremely or very worried about the future. They share concerns about health care,
319
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:56.720
human rights, violence against LGBT people, racism, domestic violence, gender inequality,
320
00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:04.279
and economic inequality. In the Gay
Science, Friedrich Nietici says, quote,
321
00:32:04.279 --> 00:32:08.920
where are we headed? Are we
not endlessly plunging backwards? Sideways?
322
00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:14.400
Forwards in all directions? Is there
an up and a down? Anymore?
323
00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:20.759
Do we not wander as if through
an endless nothingness? Nietzsche seemed to be
324
00:32:20.759 --> 00:32:28.240
describing our twenty one century world that
he did, So where is their hope?
325
00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:30.119
That's usually your line. I don't
know why I'm asking that, but
326
00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:34.000
where is especially because I don't know
really what to say? I mean,
327
00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:37.279
I always like the question, and
some of our guests have have found some
328
00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:43.440
answer. But as usual here we're
looking for hope. And if my favorite
329
00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:46.559
historian Jacques Barzon is right, we
don't expect things to improve much for at
330
00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:52.880
least the next hundred years. Everything
is pointing to a regrettable period ahead of
331
00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:58.920
us. As we said, our
hope here is that we are preserving important
332
00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:04.119
ideas that you in the future will
value. Perhaps the study of our time
333
00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:08.319
will help explain whatever future you find
yourself in. Perhaps you'll be part of
334
00:33:08.359 --> 00:33:14.880
the effort to create a new civilization. That is our hope. Like the
335
00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:20.640
environmentalist who humbly plants a tree seedling
in his later years, we don't expect
336
00:33:20.640 --> 00:33:24.960
to see the fruits of our efforts
in our lifetimes. Yet we are grateful
337
00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:30.920
for the benefits this one tree can
offer. The endeavor is a hopeful one.
338
00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:37.720
We trust in the power of humility, gratitude and hope. Let's hope
339
00:33:37.720 --> 00:33:44.559
Steve that these are important ideas.
I think they are important ideas. As
340
00:33:44.599 --> 00:33:47.880
always, this is where we normally
say, folks, join us next time,
341
00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:52.119
please recommend us to your friends.
Will stay with that, But as
342
00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:55.400
far as next time is going to
be a little while from now, we've
343
00:33:55.440 --> 00:34:00.079
decided to give the Hub for Important
Ideas podcast a little rest and turn our
344
00:34:00.119 --> 00:34:05.480
attentions to some other efforts that we've
been looking at and working on in the
345
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:10.960
background. We may be back in
the future more Important Ideas, but for
346
00:34:12.039 --> 00:34:17.000
now we're gonna let this be a
capstone for what we have hoped is a
347
00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:25.400
fifty episode series that you found some
value in amen to that. It has
348
00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:30.480
been our pleasure and privilege to bring
you what we consider important ideas and the
349
00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:36.239
voices of so many thoughtful people in
these fifty episodes. Over the last two
350
00:34:36.280 --> 00:34:40.639
and a half years, what started
as something to do during the pandemic turned
351
00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:45.760
into an immortality project for us with
a life of its own. We're taking
352
00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:52.199
a break, but we're not done
with the Important ideas for now. I'm
353
00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:57.760
humble and grateful for the opportunity to
have spoken to you from the heart.
354
00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:04.440
It's been an amazing and ever thank
you for being part of it. I'm
355
00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:08.000
Steve James and I'm Ken Swayne.
Stay safe, everybody, stay well.
356
00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:14.920
This has been a contemporary heroism initiative. Production M
