Dominic Bunnell
New
I've recently been reading a lot of books on environmentalism and sustainability (e.g. Plenitude, Ecological Economics, Peak Everything, Techno-Fix), and several times I've come across this idea that the main problem with the world today is not that we're too materialistic, but rather that we're not materialistic enough! Apparently this idea originally comes from Raymond Wiliams. Real materialism or true materialism is against narrow anthropocentrism, consumerism, fads and fashions, short-termism, and the wasteful throw-away society, and for holistic long-term thinking and the interests of the entire biosphere.
I think this new positive use of the word 'materialism' is to be welcomed. It's too easy right now for people to link scientific/philosophical materialism with consumerism and hedonism in the public mind (See Deepak, Skeptiko, etc.), and this will complicate things and hopefully lead to some interesting new discussions.
I think this new positive use of the word 'materialism' is to be welcomed. It's too easy right now for people to link scientific/philosophical materialism with consumerism and hedonism in the public mind (See Deepak, Skeptiko, etc.), and this will complicate things and hopefully lead to some interesting new discussions.