International, Online

12 – 12 May, 2022

Envisioning an Ecological Civilization – with Jeremy Lent

Our civilization is currently hurtling headlong toward catastrophe, as a result of climate breakdown, ecological overshoot, and gaping inequalities. Redirecting humanity’s trajectory will require transformation at a foundational level: moving from a wealth-based, extractive civilization to one that is life-affirming—an Ecological Civilization. 

An Ecological Civilization represents an exciting potential future of human flourishing on a regenerated Earth. It would require a transformation of our current economy, politics, and mainstream culture, leading to a fundamentally different civilization based of different values, goals, and collective behavior. It is a vision deeply aligned with the values of the Earth Charter, and with life-affirming groups worldwide—Indigenous, political, community-based, and spiritual—and one that belongs to us all. 

In this Masterclass, author Jeremy Lent will share the inspiring vision of an Ecological Civilization, and describe what it might look like in practice. He will show how, while the vision might seem a long way off, it may be closer than many people realize. 

Jeremy Lent

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Jeremy Lent, described by Guardian journalist George Monbiot as “one of the greatest thinkers of our age,” is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. His award-winning book, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, examines the way humans have made meaning from the cosmos from hunter-gatherer times to the present day. His new book, The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe, offers a solid foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a sustainable, flourishing future. He is founder of the nonprofit Liology Institute and writes topical articles exploring the deeper patterns of political and cultural developments at Patterns of Meaning. Author website: jeremylent.com