Greed Poses Threat To Civilisation

Mar 18, 2004, 12.00am IST
A K MERCHANT.


On his release from prison, the great Nelson Mandela said: "Together we live in a global neighbourhood and it is not to the long-term benefit of any if there are islands of wealth in a sea of poverty. We need a globalisation of responsibility as well. Above all that is the challenge of the new century." Mandela was absolutely right. The evolution of technology down the linear, reductionist path, which defines only that which is physically quantifiable, has jeopardised our eco-system, if not human civilisation.


Our advances cannot be disputed. But have we lost the woods for the trees in this directionless drift towards modernity, in the process threatening to self-destruct? Living a truly happy life depends on how wisely we spend our rich endowment of knowledge, emotions, skills, time, energy and material resources. It is also true that living one day at a time is a challenge better met on some days than in others. In the competitive and unjust world, the approach should be to celebrate every little wise investment, no matter how small, while keeping at bay the demands of lower nature and the inertia of drifting through life.


According to renowned British historian Arnold Toynbee, the founders of the great world religions emphasise basic principles that determine the survival of a civilisation. In his words, "The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him. Let none, therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion of some might lie in the palm of a man's hand, the portion of others might fill a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure." The transformation of the world for the better will to a great extent depend on what each person does with what he or she possesses rather than lament over what he or she does not have.