Millennium reflections, Part 1

Naturally enough, as the year begins to ebb, my reflective mood rises like the tide. Somehow, the psycho-numerological effect of 2000 weaves its spell on me too. I am wanting to reflect against a bigger canvas – on a century past, on a millennium of human achievement and folly. Fairytale wishes for a meaningful culmination of events, for the onset of a golden age, for a global Damascus awakening to enlightenment – these remain aspirational visions of a more distant future, if a future at all.

Certainly, the evidence of human cruelty, stupidity and greed seems as widespread at this time as any testimony to the kindness, ingenuity and charity of our human societies which exists. While it is true that the rise in worldwide consciousness about human rights, environmental issues and the ancient wisdom of indigenous cultures are cause for celebration, the persistence of gross inequities, genocide, wars, poverty and pollution are equal cause for lamentation.

Perhaps all that can be said with some confidence is that, consistent with Smuts’ Theory of Holism, we have evolved as a global civilization in the past 1000 or 100 years into a more complex whole. There are more inter-relationships, more inter-connections, more exchanges of information and experience than ever before. We have truly begun to function (and sometimes to malfunction) as a global living organism.

Which is not to impose moral judgements on our achievements or lack thereof – whether they are good or bad – or to guess at whether we will necessarily survive or thrive as a collective species. Whether so-called “higher values” make our collective system more efficient and effective – this is the koan of our time. And more importantly perhaps, is the question of whether our progress towards any idealised society makes for a more meaningful human experience. For I agree with Jung and Frankl’s assessment of our ultimate essence and purpose in life – a search for a meaning filled existence.