Draft
Draft
23
end, not necessarily an end in itself). It is not necessarily wrong to devote some of our
scholarly energy to the narrow and esoteric interests that excite us. But post-tenure we
should think of these pursuits as we do hobbies: interesting to us and other like-minded
hobbyists, but not particularly deserving of wider praise or an all-consuming effort. If we
honestly think the world and its varied systems—especially those close to home—are
crumbling, then we should do something about it. Using the method of defining a
problem and the product requirements above, I would encourage all of us to set ourselves
individually—and in collaboration with others—the task of creating/designing programs,
systems, projects, and plans that anticipate and respond to the changes to come.
27
We
might imagine a second constitutional convention or rewrite founding documents for a
new world. We might try putting Jefferson’s Ward Republics to practical use in our
home regions. We can identify and create the social infrastructures that will be necessary
to help transition to a post-carbon economy or generate alternative economic models that
downshift our growth economy without busting the gearbox.
28
We can take our favorite
intellectual icon/mentor and advance his/her work, rather than restating it or explaining.
29
We can reinterpret tried and true concepts for a new age. (My current work involves a
reinterpretation of citizenship to include both the aesthetic and ethical dimensions of our
lives. This is how I talk about nature without talking about environmentalism.)
30
27
In the business world this is called scenario planning. See
http://www.gbn.com/AboutScenariosDisplayServlet.srv
for an example.)
28
Richard Heinberg’s Power-Down: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World, chapter three, has a
very good discussion of the sorts of changes necessary for a peaceful transition.
29
To put it another way, we ought not to be digging around in the intellectual past for artifacts to shine and
put in a museum. (No more books and articles on so-and-so’s account of such-and-such.) Our work is
more akin to visiting a junk yard and rummaging around for valuable but overlooked parts that will help us
to get out of a big ditch. Let’s advance our favorite writer’s work for this time and place, and put it good
use for the problems we face here and now.
30
I call it 3-D Citizenship, and represent it as: Aesthetic (Ecological)
Ethical (Social)
Political (Polis),
with the arrows indicating causality. Briefly, I make the connection between sensory systems and empathy,
Convention