Category Archives: Topics

Accepting Temporariness

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Prior to reading Sheldon Solomon’s book, The Worm at the Core, I had never considered the possibility that “death is the worm at the core of the human condition”. What an intriguing, yet terrifying sentiment. Solomon claims that the fear of death “is one of the primary driving forces of human action”, an idea I initially found hard to swallow. How can this inevitable experience impact us so greatly? However, after more deeply analyzing Solomon’s claim throughout my reading of The Worm at the Core, this idea rings true in my ears. Humans possess an awareness and fear of death that is unique from any other species. As a result of this ever-present knowledge of mortality, humans have come up with a multitude of ways to manage these thoughts, often dubbed ‘terror management strategies.’

To manage the ‘terror’ that comes with the knowledge of inevitable death, humans often cling tightly to cultural worldviews. In fact, Solomon and his colleagues conducted a study which found that judges would grant more punitive sentences to prostitutes after being reminded of their mortality. To me, this provides great insight into why many humans politicize and question “Anthropocene problems”, such as climate change. Many people find meaning in supporting a cause that is larger than themselves, while others would rather not accept our detrimental impact on the earth as it may force them to change their current behavior, thereby shattering their current world view.

While dismissing climate change may be effective in limiting terror, it is not effective in mitigating the crises caused by the Anthropocene. Rather, I believe that coming to terms with our fragile existence may motivate us to heal the earth for future generations. As I have been participating in recent contemplative practices, I have been reflecting on my fragile yet remarkable existence. How incredible is it to be a human standing at the threshold of the Anthropocene? A time where I can comprehend the temporariness of my existence, while simultaneously understanding the permanent impact our species can have. Steven Peck proposes that we “situate (ourselves) deeply within the cycle of life and death. (And remember that) Life matters. Death matters. Both rely on one another”, an idea that I think would greatly benefit humans living in the Anthropocene. While our existence is shaky, our impact on the earth does not have to be. We can embrace our temporariness and help reshape the earth we walk on.

Mads Perch/Getty Images

 

Works Cited

Solomon, Sheldon, et al. The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life. Penguin Books, 2016.

Peck, Steven L. “Death and the Ecological Crisis.” Agriculture and Human Values, vol. 27, no. 1, 2009, pp. 105–109., https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-008-9189-y.

The Political Impact of Generational Shifts in Terror Management

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Humans have grappled with the terror of death for their entire existence. Instead of allowing this fear to control their lives, humans have developed numerous ways to manage this terror. One of the most utilized forms of terror management is religion. As discussed in “The Worm at the Core,” religion may have been created as a way to mitigate the fear of death. With a larger governing body providing order and a promise of something more after life, humans are able to live without death-related terror. However, in recent years, the US has seen a generational shift away from religion, as there has been a sharp increase in the number of people identifying as non-religious (In U.S.). This generational change leads to the question of whether this shift in terror management has also led to a shift in attitudes surrounding death. 

However, this shift from organized religion has been accompanied with great innovation in technology. This new technology is versatile, but has mainly furthered the quest for immortality. “The Worm at the Core” highlighted how new developments in medicine are actually ways to seek immortality and extend life. Seeing new generations subscribe to science and step back from religion suggests that reliance on science and its ability to extend life is a growing form of terror management. 

Terror management is not solely an individual matter, as individuals bring their fear of death into the work and political spheres. With a shift towards science as a form of terror management, we may also see a shift in policy. As discussed by Lynas in their piece “The God Species,” humans subconsciously lessen their responsibility for issues they deem “out of their control.” This is seen with climate change policy as politicians who identify as religious are more likely to see climate change effects as out of their control, and therefore less likely to take political action. However, with a shift towards reliance on science, politicians of younger generations may be more likely to assume responsibility for the impact of human behavior and advocate for systemic change.

Therefore, terror management is inherently tied to climate change policy. We are constantly reminded of our own mortality by our changing natural environment, and that forces us to find ways to manage this terror. By relying on science instead of an all-governing spiritual body, we may be able to create policies that lead the Anthropocene towards a healthier environment. 

Young people carry placards during a climate change march in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 26, 2021.  Yuliia Ovsiannikova/ Ukrinform/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

 

References

“In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace.” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, 9 June 2020, https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/. 

Lynas, Mark. “Prelude.” The God Species: Saving the Planet in the Age of Humans, National Geographic, Washington, D.C., 2011, pp. 3–13.

Solomon, Sheldon, et al. The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life. Penguin Books, 2016.

Self-esteem, Symbolic Immortality, and the Anthropocene

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Terror management theory: how our awareness of our ultimate death affects every facet of our lives. This idea is fully realized in “The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life,” a book we’ve been reading in class. One aspect of this book describes how self-esteem is a major way people utilize effective terror management. Simply put, high self-esteem allows us to feel valued in society and ourselves. It mitigates our fear of death as an afterthought, that what we do and feel now matters. “The Worm at the Core” describes this feeling well, quoting the world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who humbly said, “I’m glad I have a job.” Personally, I don’t think I fear death, and I think it’s because I have high self-esteem. I live in the moment—the good and the bad. Every moment is important, a lesson or a memory. I got into politics following the 2016 presidential election. It terrified me, but it also made me realize what we do right now matters. 

My political future lay in figuring out why Donald Trump was elected and doing what is necessary politically. I found that the main reason for Trump’s election was economic and social insecurity, but “The Worm at the Core” gave another reason: symbolic immortality. To gain a sense of symbolic immortality, some become movie stars, others make poems or paintings that get passed down through generations. One way to gain symbolic immortality is to be part of something greater than yourself. For many, this is achieved through nationalism. You will die, but the nation will live on. Often this nationalism is directly connected to the leader of that nation. “Make America Great Again,” it’s no wonder Trump had the support that he did. He appeared to be a charismatic leader, larger-than-life even. Why think about death—consciously or unconsciously—when we have a leader who creates an appreciation for ourselves.

Trump also pretty clearly denies the existence of the climate crisis. If he convinces his supporters to also deny climate change, it’s effectively terror management because that risk of death no longer exists. But what about the rest of us? How do we use terror management with the climate crisis and more broadly the Anthropocene? There is no denying that there will be major consequences for our inaction, but we have the choice on how bad it will truly be. 

https://practicebusiness.co.uk/how-to-improve-your-self-esteem

Death as a Force to Unify Humanity: First Thoughts

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As a late addition to this class, I was completely unsure about the content that was to be covered but was excited about the interdisciplinary approach to learning. I’ve always found it frustrating when some classes seem to operate in vacuums as I am unable to place them into a greater global context. Regarding political interactions as an open system solves this issue; Donella Meadows’s article claims “when individual subsystems each have a different goal [they can] produce extremely unnatural and problematic behavior”. This created a concrete image in my head which allowed me to look at political and social issues from a novel perspective. Specifically, the claim that “paying attention to the inner workings of systems” would help further understand current issues resonated with me greatly. Modern news outlets and mainstream content seem to be rather pessimistic and hopeless in regards to any social advancements. Understanding this rich history of our society, cultural norms and previous configurations of the system would provide me with a starting point to materialize change.

I already feel as though this class has reframed some of my questioning as well as the ways in which I am filtering in new information. As humans, we know that we are all bound to die. I truly believe that this realization has cursed us instead of uniting us. Instead of working together to increase our quality of life as a species, we seem to be regarding each other as competition. As Rupert Read insists: “this civilization could collapse utterly and terminally, as a result of climatic instability […] food shortages, nuclear war, or financial collapse leading to mass civil breakdown”. Since those who bear the greatest burden of climate change are not the ones contributing most towards it, it is easy for developed nations to adopt the “out of sight, out of mind” view. The common experience of death should have unified us as a human race but has created a value system on life.

In this era of the Anthropocene, the irreversible impact that humans have on the world is indisputable. As an individual living in a time where every political decision may lead to further damage, it is essential to accept the current state of our world but still maintain optimism in terms of the change we can make through mass education and collaboration.

References:

Bradshaw, S., Richards, Jenny, Kyriacou, Sotira, Gabbay, Alex, Ostby, Magne, Cassini, Stefano, . . . Flaxmoor Productions, production company, copyright holder. (2016). Anthropocene. Oley, Pennsylvania]: [Distributed by] Bullfrog Films.

Ibe, Khalil. “Summary of Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows.” Medium, Medium, 2 May 2019, https://medium.com/@opuhasanopu/summary-of-thinking-in-systems-by-donella-meadows-b54aec0f40f8.

Google Image Result for Https://C.tenor.com/szzil3ny__caaaac/Life-Death.gif, https://images.app.goo.gl/XHj8dWSwA7gStSbq5. 

“This Civilisation Is Finished: Conversations on the End of Empire – and What Lies beyond: The Simplicity Collective.” The Simplicity Collective | A Community of People Exploring a Life That Is Materially Simple, Inwardly Rich., 14 June 2019, http://simplicitycollective.com/this-civilisation-is-finished-conversations-on-the-end-of-empire-and-what-lies-beyond. 

Reflections on Death and the Anthropocene

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I took this class because I’m majoring in political science and have a fondness for nature, as I live in my rural home on Vashon Island. With the understanding that this was an environmental/political class wrapped into one, hence the title “Political Ecology of Death in the Anthropocene,” I knew at the very least that it would be an interesting course. Early on in the course, it was interesting to learn about a study that explores the ramifications of people’s fear of death. In it, judges who were surveyed about their mortality issued higher bonds to prostitutes than those who were not given the survey. The surveyors concluded that the judges, when reminded of death, were more likely to retreat into what they felt was culturally correct. In terms of my own views of death, I don’t really fear death, but this study got me thinking: I think I used to be afraid of death. As a 16-year-old sophomore in high school, I was worried that I didn’t yet know what I wanted to be when I grow up and I suspect that I was unconsciously afraid of death in the same way the judges were. I had felt the need to “fit in” to society in some meaningful way, unconsciously trying to avoid thinking about death.

In political terms, I want this class to help me get the word out of the many environmental disasters we are facing, accepting them, acknowledging them, and taking action. This class can also help me understand these issues, for sometimes, my political ambitions make me forget about other environmental issues of the Anthropocene besides just the climate crisis.

Overall, even with all the doom and gloom that we have been reading and discussing in class and all the forecasts on climate change and pollution, I don’t feel sad or depressed. Maybe I’m in denial or blindly optimistic, I don’t know. Maybe I just have more faith in humanity than your average person. I know the word hope has been overused a lot, but I believe in the sincere passion exhibited by our youth. I feel that with the right political pressure and with enough organized protests, we can change the world for the better, environmentally and socially.

Welcome to our course blog!

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We are a learning community asking big questions. Because life feeds on life, death is indispensable to the healthy functioning of ecosystems and even evolution itself. One species, however, has developed the capacity to anticipate (and therefore dread) death and commandeer other species in service to increasing its numbers and its material consumption. Humanity is now operating well outside the planetary boundaries that characterized the Holocene, the interglacial “sweet spot” during which civilization emerged. The implications are profound: not only are we facing the end of “nature” as something separate from human culture, we also face the potential death of civilization as we know it.

Image source: Ligorano Reese, Melted Away

We therefore ask ourselves: what are the political and ecological consequences of how individuals and societies approach death? And what can the current pandemic teach us about the political ecology of death? While death is a fact of life, questions of who lives, who dies, who decides, and with what consequences are also political ones. Our discussion is therefore informed by themes of justice, equity, power and authority, and political agency. At the same time, because mortality is also an intensely personal reality, we are deepening our self-inquiry through poetry, videos, contemplative practices, and personal exploration.

As we stand at the threshold of the Anthropocene, we hope our inquiry helps to inspire your own inquiry!