Global Dialogues

The prospects for human fraternity perhaps have never seemed bleaker. Maybe it is the sense of "familiarity breeds contempt," as the saying goes, that ironically comes with being globally interconnected on technological and economic levels. Interestingly, though, the more time-tested lens of ecological connection seems to be less paramount, even as the gathering threat of climate change and other critical environmental thresholds being broached or crossed emerges in real time rather than in some speculative future scenario. In a different era, such shared crises may have served as a crucible for deeper bonds of affinity and fraternity, but in the age of resurgent polarization and alienation our "filter bubbles" often lead us away from one another. 

Thus we find ourselves firmly implanted within a paradox of global interconnection and increasing isolationism. And perhaps this has always been the paradox of our lives, namely that beyond a certain point of magnitude we cannot fathom the sheer multitude of interactions nor maintain the texture of mutualistic relationships. In village life, people get to know one another across a wide range of experiences, most of which are not purely transactional in nature; such patterns still persist in smaller cities and towns, but the mediating influence of compelling alternatives and pervasive technologies, among other factors, can impinge on the robustness of daily exchanges. Simply put, it's hard to keep folks "down on the farm" once they've seen the blue light. 

Still, all hope is not lost. Despite the pressures of interpersonal distancing and international retrenchment, there remain spaces of potential global solidarity. As neo-authoritarian politics and elite-capture economics spread, the rest of us can find mutuality in shared struggles for dignity and justice. Likewise, as noted, the realization that many environmental problems (and climate-related issues in particular) do not abide national borders and cannot be met purely on a local level provides one of the few realms of international accord, which can be expanded upon as more advocates for global justice find their way into the proceedings. Indeed, such was the promise of the first "whole earth" photos from the 1960s, and our cameras are even better today.

Extending this logic, we might further consider that human fraternity isn’t the limit of our capacity. To the extent that we are willing and able to recast ourselves within the community of life on this planet, it can serve as a buffer for humanistic antipathies and a method for extending bonds of empathy beyond the baggage of competition and conquest. If we are truly looking to expand our moral imaginations, a good starting point would be to include within our calculations the many facets of a world that sustains us. This pursuit can be spiritual or secular, moralistic or pragmatic—but in the end it will be essential for our survival. Our human societies are complex and dynamic, which places us in good company with the balance of life here, opening a space for widening our circles of affinity with one another and beyond.

Randall J. Amster, is a teaching professor, director of the environmental studies program, and co-director of the joint environment and sustainability degree at Georgetown University.