Albert Schweitzer said the purpose of culture is to develop ethical and caring human beings. It would be hard to argue that contemporary culture is life affirming. Death in the ubiquitous manifestations of war, ecosystem devastation, and consumerism insinuate themselves into every nook and cranny of our dystopian world. Corporate profiteering and plunder are celebrated virtues accompanying man's sociopathic assault on the earth’s ability to support life. The poet Auden said “we must love one another or die.” It could be argued that we must develop a loving relationship with nature, based on awe, reverence, and good science to mitigate the grim outlook the future portends. This is what E.O. Wilson refers to as “biophilia”. We must reestablish our connectedness to nature before the restorative healing of the planet can begin. Without the existence of a life affirming ethic, the suicidal mantra of “biggering and biggering” will lead us to extinction.
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