Page 19 - Zen of an Earth Mythology

last several centuries has been the dominant force in
directing the course of international politics, world

demographics, life philosophies, resource demands,
and the most ordinary of our aspirations. The

motivating power of this culture is now directing the
future of humanity as a species. Most significantly,

however, it has traumatized ecologies and is
irrevocably altering the systemic operation of nature

itself.

A significant portion of this impact can be
assigned to the West's mythology. Amid the mass

euphoria of a knowledge explosion and the incessant
technological transformations that have brought

incomparable material wealth, we may think of our
culture as being very modern and innovative. In

actuality, however, it is founded on a mythology that is
not only old and outmoded, but is a serious threat to

the stability of nature and to our collective wellbeing.

As the structure we have used for giving meaning to
our experience of being alive, this mythology and its
attendant beliefs now offer trouble rather than

promise.

Admittedly, when the ingenuity of modern
science is expressed technologically and manifested
humanistically, it has provided us with monumental

benefits. Our “progress” by this measure has been

nothing less than remarkable. But some of science's

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