Papers by Catherine R THOMAS
La grande majorité des laboratoires scientifiques faisant des recherches sur le climat prédisent,... more La grande majorité des laboratoires scientifiques faisant des recherches sur le climat prédisent, grâce à des observations et des modèles numériques, un réchauffement climatique pour les années et les décennies à venir. Leurs résultats, synthétisés par le GIEC, sont transmis aux « décideurs politiques » comme support de réflexion quant aux actions à mettre en œuvre. Cela a conduit par exemple certains pays à s’engager à réduire leurs émissions de C02. Mais les modèles mathématiques, s’ils sont de bons outils pour la recherche, sont-ils pertinents lorsqu’il s’agit de conseiller des hommes politiques qui sauront lire les résultats des simulations climatiques et non pas en saisir les hypothèses scientifiques, encore moins les implicites philosophiques ? Or tous ces modèles, faute de pouvoir décrire les processus vivants par des équations mathématiques équivalentes à celles qui décrivent les phénomènes physiques et chimiques, doivent « paramétriser » l’activité vivante de notre planète. Une telle « paramétrisation » est de l’avis même des modélisateurs la principale source d’incertitude sur les prédictions qui sont faites à l’aide de ces modèles. Aussi l’utilisation simpliste des résultats de ces modèles climatiques me semble susceptible de nous induire en erreur de plusieurs manières qui sont exposées dans cet article.
Les développements des sciences modernes nous conduisent à considérer la vie comme une forme émer... more Les développements des sciences modernes nous conduisent à considérer la vie comme une forme émergente de la matière. Mais tout en étant ainsi profondément matérialistes, nous sommes en passe de détruire d’innombrables formes de vie et de mettre en péril notre propre existence sur Terre en déséquilibrant les écosystèmes naturels. Ne devrions-nous pas reconsidérer notre manière de percevoir la vie ? Fonder une nouvelle science biologique sur la reconnaissance de la vie comme processus à l’essence même de la réalité ? Les sciences physiques nous y invitent si on veut bien considérer les horizons ouverts par les théories de la complexité.
Une proposition essentielle de l’écopsychologie est de chercher et appliquer les moyens de fair... more Une proposition essentielle de l’écopsychologie est de chercher et appliquer les moyens de faire renaître l’Amour de la Terre, de la Vie, dans le cœur de l’homme. Mais l’Amour est une alchimie subtile et tout repose maintenant sur les moyens que l’on saura inventer pour revivifier cette relation amoureuse.
La solution viendra de l’usage plus complet de notre cerveau et de notre corps dans une relation intime au monde naturel. Et la nature elle-même peut nous enseigner... alors ce que nous devons inventer, c'est la manière dont les enseignants pourraient s'effacer pour ne plus prendre le risque de retomber toujours dans les vieilles erreurs mentales qui nous coupent de notre nature essentielle, malgré tout leur bonne volonté de bien faire....
Quelques pistes concrètes sont suggérées ici pour un retrait des enseignants au profit d’un contact direct des enfants avec la nature.
Ouvrage collectif dirigé par Bérangère Hurand et Catherine larrère, Editeur : Publications de la ... more Ouvrage collectif dirigé par Bérangère Hurand et Catherine larrère, Editeur : Publications de la Sorbonne L'écopsychologie, domaine de recherches récent, est extrêmement foisonnante ; elle a des sources multiples, et aucune limite très nette. Certains la considèrent comme une discipline émergente qui devra se hisser vers une reconnaissance académique ; d'autres préfèreraient la voir rester « indisciplinée ». Quoiqu'il en soit, elle ne se hissera pas au rang des sciences objectives, car elle entend justement dissoudre la limite sujet-objet de la science occidentale et la limite nature humaine/nature non-humaine de notre pensée dualiste.
Drafts by Catherine R THOMAS
Catherine Reine THOMAS, 2020
Synthèse de mon propos : L'écopsychologie fait le constat que nous sommes coupés de la nature et ... more Synthèse de mon propos : L'écopsychologie fait le constat que nous sommes coupés de la nature et que cela engendre la plupart des maux de notre civilisation. Il s'ensuit l'idée, centrale en écopsychologie, que si nous retournons au contact de la nature, nous retrouverons la sensibilité écologique absolument nécessaire pour sortir de la crise écologique. Si une telle démarche me parait essentielle et indispensable, elle me paraît aussi très insuffisante. En effet, nous venons de la nature : donc quelque chose nous a poussés hors de la nature, ou quelque chose a fait prise sur nous pour nous en couper… Quel est ce « quelque chose » ? Il me semble fondamental de savoir ce qui nous est arrivé et nous a rendus comme étrangers à notre nature primordiale.
Catherine Reine THOMAS, 2020
Ecopsychology observes that we are alienated from nature and that this generates most of the ills... more Ecopsychology observes that we are alienated from nature and that this generates most of the ills of our civilization. It follows the idea, central to ecopsychology, that if we return to our connection with nature, we will find the ecological sensitivity indispensable in order for us to escape the ecological crisis.
If such a measure appears to me essential, it also appears to me to be insufficient. In fact, we come from nature: therefore, something alienated us from nature. What is this “something”? I feel it essential to understand what happened to us to make us feel divorced from our primordial nature.
To answer to this question, I propose here a new understanding of human nature and a new theoretical framework to find our way. I am going to examine the decisive factor which in the first step makes us human, and which secondly plunged us into an ecological crisis: We are “technicians”. I suggest that what took hold of us and dangerously turned us away from “Life” both within ourselves and around us, is what I like to call “The Technical Process”. The difficulty is that this “Technical Process” which influences us, makes us talented humans possessing unique skills within the animal kingdom. All of this makes one believe that humans are the brilliant inventors of the bomb and the pesticides, which pollute the entire earth….Such a vision renders us powerless when faced with such an ecological crisis.
I propose to see that we are not the authors of technological developments on Earth but the consenting craftsmen of a Technical Process with its own dynamic and which manifests itself concretely, in the matter, thanks to us and our smart hands. As such, in the course of humanity’s evolution, and especially since a few centuries, we are bestowed with amazing creativity, but are guided by its development.
A synergy on Earth between the Living Process and the Technical Process reveals the hominids and gradually leads to Homo habilis, and several other human species, which all acquire a great technical intelligence. However, only the “Homo Sapiens” species will allow the technical adventure to unfold on Earth; the other lines did not continue on this path that turns out to be very perilous.
We are therefore at a turning point in the history of humanity, a key moment where we must see the autonomy of the Technical Process so that we might learn how to master it.
Becoming aware of this means to reach a state of “modified” consciousness in order to find within ourselves the possibility of not only protecting from the excess of the technical system, but also the possibility of loving ourselves as humans. Humans? To love us as we are; human beings and technicians at the same time, powerful beings, thanks to technology, but becoming more and more fragile also.
The goal is that we can again become masters of Technology rather than blind slaves, and at the same time get out of the ecological crisis.
The first step in transformation will be difficult. It requires humility in recognizing our submission to the Technical Process, even if it has not always been this way. In order to understand this, I am going to trace back to the prehistoric period in order to explain the present and inform our future.
From this more lucid vision of our humanity may be born, I believe, new means of guiding us in our human epic towards a new wisdom that I call paleosophy.
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Papers by Catherine R THOMAS
La solution viendra de l’usage plus complet de notre cerveau et de notre corps dans une relation intime au monde naturel. Et la nature elle-même peut nous enseigner... alors ce que nous devons inventer, c'est la manière dont les enseignants pourraient s'effacer pour ne plus prendre le risque de retomber toujours dans les vieilles erreurs mentales qui nous coupent de notre nature essentielle, malgré tout leur bonne volonté de bien faire....
Quelques pistes concrètes sont suggérées ici pour un retrait des enseignants au profit d’un contact direct des enfants avec la nature.
Drafts by Catherine R THOMAS
If such a measure appears to me essential, it also appears to me to be insufficient. In fact, we come from nature: therefore, something alienated us from nature. What is this “something”? I feel it essential to understand what happened to us to make us feel divorced from our primordial nature.
To answer to this question, I propose here a new understanding of human nature and a new theoretical framework to find our way. I am going to examine the decisive factor which in the first step makes us human, and which secondly plunged us into an ecological crisis: We are “technicians”. I suggest that what took hold of us and dangerously turned us away from “Life” both within ourselves and around us, is what I like to call “The Technical Process”. The difficulty is that this “Technical Process” which influences us, makes us talented humans possessing unique skills within the animal kingdom. All of this makes one believe that humans are the brilliant inventors of the bomb and the pesticides, which pollute the entire earth….Such a vision renders us powerless when faced with such an ecological crisis.
I propose to see that we are not the authors of technological developments on Earth but the consenting craftsmen of a Technical Process with its own dynamic and which manifests itself concretely, in the matter, thanks to us and our smart hands. As such, in the course of humanity’s evolution, and especially since a few centuries, we are bestowed with amazing creativity, but are guided by its development.
A synergy on Earth between the Living Process and the Technical Process reveals the hominids and gradually leads to Homo habilis, and several other human species, which all acquire a great technical intelligence. However, only the “Homo Sapiens” species will allow the technical adventure to unfold on Earth; the other lines did not continue on this path that turns out to be very perilous.
We are therefore at a turning point in the history of humanity, a key moment where we must see the autonomy of the Technical Process so that we might learn how to master it.
Becoming aware of this means to reach a state of “modified” consciousness in order to find within ourselves the possibility of not only protecting from the excess of the technical system, but also the possibility of loving ourselves as humans. Humans? To love us as we are; human beings and technicians at the same time, powerful beings, thanks to technology, but becoming more and more fragile also.
The goal is that we can again become masters of Technology rather than blind slaves, and at the same time get out of the ecological crisis.
The first step in transformation will be difficult. It requires humility in recognizing our submission to the Technical Process, even if it has not always been this way. In order to understand this, I am going to trace back to the prehistoric period in order to explain the present and inform our future.
From this more lucid vision of our humanity may be born, I believe, new means of guiding us in our human epic towards a new wisdom that I call paleosophy.
La solution viendra de l’usage plus complet de notre cerveau et de notre corps dans une relation intime au monde naturel. Et la nature elle-même peut nous enseigner... alors ce que nous devons inventer, c'est la manière dont les enseignants pourraient s'effacer pour ne plus prendre le risque de retomber toujours dans les vieilles erreurs mentales qui nous coupent de notre nature essentielle, malgré tout leur bonne volonté de bien faire....
Quelques pistes concrètes sont suggérées ici pour un retrait des enseignants au profit d’un contact direct des enfants avec la nature.
If such a measure appears to me essential, it also appears to me to be insufficient. In fact, we come from nature: therefore, something alienated us from nature. What is this “something”? I feel it essential to understand what happened to us to make us feel divorced from our primordial nature.
To answer to this question, I propose here a new understanding of human nature and a new theoretical framework to find our way. I am going to examine the decisive factor which in the first step makes us human, and which secondly plunged us into an ecological crisis: We are “technicians”. I suggest that what took hold of us and dangerously turned us away from “Life” both within ourselves and around us, is what I like to call “The Technical Process”. The difficulty is that this “Technical Process” which influences us, makes us talented humans possessing unique skills within the animal kingdom. All of this makes one believe that humans are the brilliant inventors of the bomb and the pesticides, which pollute the entire earth….Such a vision renders us powerless when faced with such an ecological crisis.
I propose to see that we are not the authors of technological developments on Earth but the consenting craftsmen of a Technical Process with its own dynamic and which manifests itself concretely, in the matter, thanks to us and our smart hands. As such, in the course of humanity’s evolution, and especially since a few centuries, we are bestowed with amazing creativity, but are guided by its development.
A synergy on Earth between the Living Process and the Technical Process reveals the hominids and gradually leads to Homo habilis, and several other human species, which all acquire a great technical intelligence. However, only the “Homo Sapiens” species will allow the technical adventure to unfold on Earth; the other lines did not continue on this path that turns out to be very perilous.
We are therefore at a turning point in the history of humanity, a key moment where we must see the autonomy of the Technical Process so that we might learn how to master it.
Becoming aware of this means to reach a state of “modified” consciousness in order to find within ourselves the possibility of not only protecting from the excess of the technical system, but also the possibility of loving ourselves as humans. Humans? To love us as we are; human beings and technicians at the same time, powerful beings, thanks to technology, but becoming more and more fragile also.
The goal is that we can again become masters of Technology rather than blind slaves, and at the same time get out of the ecological crisis.
The first step in transformation will be difficult. It requires humility in recognizing our submission to the Technical Process, even if it has not always been this way. In order to understand this, I am going to trace back to the prehistoric period in order to explain the present and inform our future.
From this more lucid vision of our humanity may be born, I believe, new means of guiding us in our human epic towards a new wisdom that I call paleosophy.