The idea of alternative futures is ingrained in the ecological philosophy of Henryk Skolimowski (1930-2018). In his autobiography The Lotus and the Mud, Skolimowski has praised some communities he has lived with which could be ideal for the rest of the world infested. In the absence of new ideas, new philosophies and alternative systems, our contemporary world is suffering from ecological crises, environmental pollution, violence and various faith-laden pathogens. A future is not out there on its own terms. It is the outcome of our living philosophy in the present times.
Vir Singh
The world’s prominent astrologers – dead as well as alive – are being quoted about their baffling predictions of the future. Their predictions of the future are sometimes unexpected and often horrible. The events to take place in the future may or may not turn out as the astrologers had foretold. However, based on our accumulated experiences from the past to the present, we can also predict the shape of the future world.
Time’s journey is infinite, it has no halt. Time’s journey neither had a starting point nor does it have a final destination. Nothing in this universe can be truly said to be eternal except time. Time can never turn its back on the world. Time’s journey is irreversible. It always runs towards the future from the past through the present. Time is the witness of every event in the universe– however destructive, however constructive. Our link with the past is as it has been tasted and it is all time-tested. Our link with the future is always full of doubts and often quite vague. Our encounter with the future is at the mercy of our present time. And this mercy of time is thanks to our behaviour in our present times. There are many dimensions of our relationships with our contemporary times. Our outlook towards and dealing with nature is one of them. Our ethical values, our sense of justice, our response to the lessons of the past, etc are the several dimensions of our articulation and our behaviour in contemporary times.
Time goes on converting the present into the past and entering into the future and – again – converting the future into the present. The future of time has to come as per the pace of the journey of time. It will come even if we are not there in existence anymore. What we strive for is a sustainable future that is witnessed by a blossoming humanity. And a sustainable future would not be a ‘traditional’ future we leave on its own, but an alternative future the foundation of which has to be laid down in the present.
We live in the past with our memories and in the present with all our karma. Those who are real genius also live in an elegant future. One who does not gracefully live in the tune of the future cannot be a genius. A genius also strives to build the future of their dreams. The genius strives to abdicate conventional sorts of things that do not promise a blossoming alternative future. They feel fed up with what might be future-diminishing. Anything human-depressing is future-diminishing. Anything future-diminishing is life-eclipsing. A genius strives to live up to life-enhancing styles. Life enhancement is human enhancement. They desperately search for better and promising alternatives—alternative thoughts, alternative philosophies, alternative socioeconomic and political systems, alternative habitats, alternative models, alternative communities, alternative lifestyles and the likes. These alternatives of the present times denote an alternative future. The alternative future means a promising and life-enhancing future. A genius is always against the status quo and he/ she tends to emerge as a pathbreaker.
Life is always in transcendental evolution. Socio-political systems cannot be in a static state. But they are. They are in the grip of a kind of status quoism. Such systems ought to be stale, autocratic, exploitative, full of anarchy and unsustainable system. The idea of alternative futures is ingrained in the ecological philosophy of Henryk Skolimowski (1930-2018). In his autobiography The Lotus and the Mud, Skolimowski has praised some communities he has lived with which could be ideal for the rest of the world infested. In the absence of new ideas, new philosophies and alternative systems, our contemporary world is suffering from ecological crises, environmental pollution, violence and various faith-laden pathogens. A future is not out there on its own terms. It is the outcome of our living philosophy in the present times. It is bound to carry on the legacy of our present karma. If our present is laden with woes, it will multiply the same in the future. If we begin ecologically healing our tormented present we shall be laying the foundation of an alternative future. Only an ecologically blossoming future will be a sustainable future. This future would be free from carbon footprints, pollution, climate crises, hatred and violence. Such a promising, sustainable, and happiness-laden future is not only necessary but imperative for our world.
The future of human destiny is shaped by our actions in the present times. And our actions are directed by our philosophy. Philosophy, thus, is the fundamental ingredient to give shape to human societies. The kind of philosophy we pursue today is pivotal for the kind of future we shall sail through at different points in time. Ecological philosophy (eco-philosophy) is to help us to usher in a sustainable future, a future that would ensure a vibrant and blossoming humanity. The eco-philosophy is life-enhancing. And only a life-enhancing philosophy can ensure to usher in an alternative future. The alternative future can be witnessed by alternative societies cherishing and pursuing a life-enhancing philosophy and ecological Dharma.
(The author is professor emeritus of environmental science, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology. Views expressed are personal)
