George Catalano joined us by Skype as we headed into the third session today. After some Skype issues (darn technology!), we switched to just audio and the presentation went well.
George talked about the various conceptions of earth throughout human history: from the Medieval Age in Europe (where women were even lower than plants/animals in the world), to the Copernican model of the universe to the clockwork universe of the scientific revolution before moving on to newer ideas. These newer ideas stress chaos, complexity, interlinking, non-deterministic progress, evolution into different and usually more complex forms.
One example is the "plan" of the US Military in Afghanistan.
What can engineers take away from these newer conceptions of the universe? Engineers should reconnect with a bio-spiritual idea of the universe: leave hydrogen alone and it will yield plants and animals. We can use Johnson's concept of the morally deep world and Berry's "communion of subjects".
- Complex system as "integral community"
- Nonhumans and ecosystems are morally significants beings with interests and rights
- Differentiation – emergent diversification from particles to life forms leading to biodiversity
- Subjectivity – everything has a voice and an inner sense
- Community — every atom in the universe is immediately influencing every other atom in the Universe, no matter how distant
George then led us in "imagine" sessions which had us imagining what our conference would look like without differentiation, subjectivity, and community.