|
Book Review
Human survival
RAMASWAMY R. IYER
Religion and the Human Prospect: Alexander Saxton, Monthly Review Press, New York and Aakar Books, 28 E Pkt. IV, Mayur Vihar Phase I, Delhi-110091. Rs. 550.
The driving force behind the book is a perception of the twin threats that confront humanity: ecological disaster and nuclear disaster. In the author’s view radical answers are needed, and he asks himself where the push for drastic changes might come from. He dismisses science and technology as having the necessary knowledge but lacking power; and the governments of states and the corporate world (industry and commerce) as having the power but being unable or unwilli
ng to abandon the path of industrial and economic growth, and explore another which might call for zero or even negative growth involving painful adjustments. The author points out that the nations of the world were willing to accept painful adjustments and austerities during the Second World War. The motivating force at that time was national patriotism. The author wonders whether a similar driving force for saving humanity might now be derived from religion.
Threat of extinction
He himself is a non-believer, but he hypothesises that confronted with the possible extinction of humanity, religion can once again (as in the past) prove to be the saving force. Having postulated that hypothesis, he rejects it on certain grounds (mainly the failings of existing religions).
That very rough summary of the argument of the book leaves out a whole dimension of the book, namely the evolutionary perspective. The author argues that human beings developed certain capacities to overcome scarcity and danger, and achieve abundance and security, but those same capacities proceeded to deplete, contaminate and destroy natural resources and damage the habitat beyond repair, and the weaponry became capable of destroying all of humanity. Quite possibly, humanity may become extinct, as the Great Lizards became extinct, through failures of adaptation.
Evolutionary perspective
The same evolutionary perspective is applied to religion. Just as biological changes evolved to facilitate human survival and dominance, so too religion evolved to facilitate human survival by providing it with the means of grappling with the consciousness of death, and converting social codes into religious prescriptions and proscriptions. The crucial question now (in evolutionary terms) is the following: will the human adaptation necessary for averting the nuclear/ecological disaster come about through religion?
This is really two books in one. It is an exposition of an evolutionary theory of religion; it is also a forecast of doom (human extinction) and an exploration of ways of averting that doom. The two are linked by the evolutionary theory, but is that really necessary for the argument? This reviewer finds the explanation of religion as “adaptation for survival” clever but unpersuasive. Without attempting to explain religion in evolutionary terms, and accepting the fact that it exists in different forms throughout the world and commands the adherence of large numbers of people, the author could still have asked whether people can be motivated to save their own future and that of their habitat by making this a sacred duty.
Definition of religion
The author defines religion as “belief in spiritual beings”. One has reservations on that definition, but leaving them aside, the more important point is that religion has two aspects or dimensions and “belief” is only one of them. The other is a sense of the ineffable mystery of life. There was not merely primordial terror; there was also primordial wonder and a sense of mystery. Religion was not merely an “adaptation”; it was also an attempt to explain the mystery of life.
Consider the mystical experiences of Saul of Tarsus, the Buddha, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharshi. What is common to all these instances is an experience of illumination, a sense of having understood the mystery of life. The book fails to take note of this aspect of religion.
The author’s instinct was right: it makes sense to invoke the cooperation of religion in the fight against nuclear and ecological disaster, though he himself backs away from that insight. Nor need we rule out governments and business houses altogether. Undoubtedly, they are mounted on the treadmill of growth and will find it hard to dismount. However, the inevitability of doom can be – will have to be – impressed upon them and upon the minds of people as a whole. Samuel Johnson’s remark comes to mind: “Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” One must hope that the consciousness of doom will concentrate the minds of all kinds of people wonderfully.
This book of barely 240 pages is a magnum opus. It needs to be read widely.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Book Review
|
