2022-04-11

20220411_ST-ON_Humanism_Anthropocene_EnemiesOfTheSystemsApproach_v0411a.pdf

April 14 (the second Monday of the month) is the 99th meeting for Systems Thinking Ontario. The registration is on Eventbrite at https://humanism-anthropocene-systemsapproach.eventbrite.ca .

Humanism, the Anthropocene, and Enemies of the Systems Approach

Humanism is "most generally, any philosophy concerned to emphasize human welfare and dignity, and either optimistic about the powers of human reason, or at least insistent that we have no alternative but to use it as best we can"  (Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy).

The anthropocene "defines Earth's most recent geologic time period (Anthropocene) as being human-influenced, or anthropogenic, based on overwhelming global evidence that atmospheric, geologic, hydrologic, biospheric and other earth system processes are now altered by humans" (Encyclopedia of Earth).

The systems approach "belongs to a whole class of approaches to managing and planning our human affairs with the intent that we as a living species conduct ourselves properly in this world".  (Churchman  1979, p. 8).  

In a chapter on "Humans Regulating Humans", David Hawk writes:

Can we reconcile humanism, the anthropocene, and enemies of the systems approach?

Venue:

Suggested pre-reading: 

Gallopín, Gilberto. 2003. A Systems Approach to Sustainability and Sustainable Development. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean 64. United Nations Publications. https://repositorio.cepal.org/handle/11362/5759 .

Ehrenfeld, David W. 1981. The Arrogance of Humanism. Oxford University Press.

Heinberg, Richard. 2017. “Systemic Change Driven by Moral Awakening Is Our Only Hope.” EcoWatch (blog). August 14, 2017. https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-heinberg-2471869927.html.

Churchman, C. West. 1979. The Systems Approach and Its Enemies. New York: Basic Books.

Hawk, David L. 2019. Too Early, Too Late, Now What? AuthorHouse. https://www.authorhouse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/799308-too-early-too-late-now-what.

Agenda

Post-meeting artifacts

Bloggers are encouraged to write about their learning and experiences at the meeting. Links will be added to this page.