This is the Journey ...

To question is not to reject, but to seek to make better, thus I question science, engineering, technology, religion and free market capitalism, noting that:

 

Science on the one hand helps us, while at the same time, destroys us; we have not yet acquired the knowledge, the sophistication, and the wisdom to achieve the former without the latter.

Technology on the one hand helps us, while at the same time, destroys us; we have not yet acquired the knowledge, the sophistication, and the wisdom to achieve the former without the latter.

Engineering on the one hand helps us, while at the same time, destroys us; we have not yet acquired the knowledge, the sophistication, and the wisdom to achieve the former without the latter.

Religion on the one hand helps us, while at the same time, destroys us; we have not yet acquired the knowledge, the sophistication, and the wisdom to achieve the former without the latter.

Free market capitalism on the one hand helps us, while at the same time, destroys us; we have not yet acquired the knowledge, the sophistication, and the wisdom to achieve the former without the latter.

Time to begin to understand why and to discuss what to do to change science, technology, engineering, religion, and free market capitalism; this is what I call the journey. And the reason for the journey?

 

The journey is a metaphor that I use to describe the process of discovery and learning that leads to a greater understanding of the meaning of sustainability, which at the present time is perceived in very narrow terms. The journey is also a process of self-discovery, as one begins to perceive different realities and to understand that, core to achieving sustainability, is to become different people, to achieve a higher level of consciousness, to start to become that which we truly are. Important also is learning that we need different perspectives on religion, science, engineering, technology and economy, and to bring spirituality back into these domains. We must end the extremism that has taken hold in these aspects of our civilisation. And to aid this process of discovery and development, I have written a number of works of fiction to help people, and these books are available to read, for free, online. The journey starts here. This is the journey ...

 

Step 1: Read Encounter with a Wise Man (now available)

This is a very short story which is, in its essence, an observation about the lack of wisdom in the modern world, particularly in what can be called western civilisation. The tale notes that, at a time when we should be standing back to reflect upon the consequence of our actions and thinking about how we should change, we are not doing this, and instead, we are pushing ahead focusing on doing more of the very things that are the cause of our present difficulties. The story in particular is addressed to three aspects of our civilisation: religion, science and free market economics, presenting them for what they most often are: dogma. It points out, what is stated above, about how all these aspects of our world can help us, while having also the potential to destroy us. The story ends by referring to a circumstance where all three have simultaneous shifted towards the latter, and have become bound together in ways that most do not understand, leading to a future that it will not be possible for humanity to break free from: a self-constructed intellectual prison, where the only escape will in fact be to participate in a collective delusion that all is well and that which exists is the best of all possible worlds. The books that follow on from this tale begin to explore and explain more about this.

 

Step 2: Read A Tale of Two Deserts (now available)

This book is truly enigmatic and is designed to be so - not here will you find a clear and logical story, leading to a definite end. This one might say is part of the point of the book. Religion and science are at the centre of the narrative, and the here you will find allegory, obfuscation, and hidden meaning. Consisting of two tales, both set on Christmas Eve, but in too very different times, both tales speak the same message, and in addition there is a narrative that runs across both of them. Hence the description on the back cover: one book, two tales, one story. The book is in fact an invitation … I will say no more, other than to mention that for me as a writer, this a very special piece of work.

 

Step 3: Read Enigma (now available)

This book is a sequel to A Tale of Two Deserts and as the title suggests the book is truly enigmatic and is designed to be so, as with a Tale of Two Deserts you will not here find a clear and logical story, leading to a definite end. This one might say is part of the point of the book. In one sense both A Tale of two Deserts and Enigma, and especially Enigma, could be compared with the surrealist novel from the 1920s - Nadja. It is not that these two books are surrealist, more that they do not follow the normal and accepted narrative tradition of story-telling in the sense of a clear storyline from beginning to end.

 

Step 4: Read Moments in Time (now available)

Moments in Time if a full length novel, set in two ages separated by 250 years, but involving one person who is able to dwell in both. Set in the early 21st century, and the mid 18th century, both eras have a relevance to the occupation of the central character, who is an engineer, being one might say an iconic figure in modern times and about to become so in 1750.

The opening line in this story is a statement of the second law of thermodynamics: "out of order comes disorder." Several times throughout the story, the central character mentions his core beliefs: “out of disorder I create order” and “the risks can be managed.” The story is one person’s discovery of the nonsense of these beliefs, as through his actions, he destroys everything that he values in both worlds he inhabits. Eventually, the destruction is so great, that he can no longer hide behind his self-delusions and he has to face the consequences of his damaging and delusional beliefs. In the end he also accepts that in that risks cannot be managed, because out of order comes disorder. This is a paradigm change, which is linked to something that is stated at the very beginning of the novel, when the central character, as he begins to recount his rather unusual tale, announces: “I have become like Prometheus”. At the very end of the tale you will have discovered why he states this, and also how he can smash the unbreakable chains that have imprisoned him, and which keep him bound to the rock of the past. How to do this is actually very clear, so clear in fact, that it has become, to use a more poetic phrase that I used elsewhere, “hidden in plain view”. But while it may be clear and obvious, it is not easy to accomplish.

Step 5: Read My Next Novel (to be published ?)

And my next novel builds on all three of the books mentioned above, and shows how to start building a new path in one particular context - agriculture - and the consequences that will follow if we remain like Prometheus, bound to the rock of the past.

Prometheus is not the only tale that appears in my writings; I also mention the story of the emperor’s new clothes! Both are highly relevant to understanding our present circumstances, and our insistence on continuing with that which is destroying our planet, our civilisation and our humanity, and perhaps also, ultimately us, the species known as homo sapiens, who, it seems, no longer know the meaning of this name.

You can also read my (many) entries in Paul's Blog. And also my twitter tales. There is also a relevant non fiction book called European Visions for the Knowledge Age: A Quest for New Horizons in the Information Society.

Paul T Kidd

October 2014

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