Charles Eisenstein (born 1967) is an American writer and teacher, and one of the most inspiring visionaries of the transition to a sustainable civilization; he describes himself as a non-growth activist. He graduated from Yale University in 1989 (mathematics and philosophy) and then went to Taiwan to study Chinese; he worked there as a translator for ten years and studied Eastern spiritual traditions for twenty years. He currently lives with his family in the town of Camphill near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania…
Category: Texts
Culture of the whole Earth and the European Peninsula
American artists Helena Mayer Harrison (1929) and Newton Harrison (1932), pioneers of eco art, have been working together as a team since 1969. Their work is characterized by a deep understanding of ecological systems and great empathy for the Earth. Early in their work, they decided not to create works that did not benefit ecosystems. The issues they address span across…
Vandana Shiva: On Earth's Democracy – On Living Economies and Living Cultures
Vandana Shiva (born 1952), originally a physicist, is an environmentalist, activist, feminist, and author of many books. She is a leading figure in the global solidarity and justice movement and a leading figure in the International Forum on Globalization. In India, she founded the Navdanya movement for the protection of biodiversity and farmers' rights. She is the director of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology and a member of the International Organization…
Brian Swimme: The Sun as the Center
Brian Swimme (born 1952) is a mathematical cosmologist, professor in the Department of Cosmology, Philosophy, and Consciousness at the California Institute for Integral Studies, and director of the Center for the Story of the Universe. He studied mathematical cosmology at the University of Oregon and worked at the Riverdale Center of Religious Research in New York, where his teacher and mentor was theologian and cosmologist Thomas Berry, who introduced him to Teilhardian…
David Abram: It is a country that is truly intelligent, not a lonely humanity...
David Abram (born 1957) is an American ecophilosopher, cultural ecologist, magician, and storyteller, and one of the most inspiring ecological thinkers of our time. In his work, he combines the philosophical tradition of phenomenology with environmental and ecological issues. The work of the French phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty provided a fundamental impetus for his work. As a storyteller and magician, he has lived and worked with indigenous magicians in Indonesia, Nepal, and…
Thomas Berry: Twelve Principles for Understanding the Universe and Man's Role in the Cosmic Process
Thomas Berry (1914-2009) was an American cultural historian, religious scholar, cosmologist, leading thinker in the de Chardinian tradition, and one of the most provocative ecological thinkers of the 20th century. He analyzed in depth the nature of the alienation of Western culture and spirituality from the Earth. In order for us to succeed as individuals and as a species, Berry argued, we must understand the story of the universe. Together with cosmologist Brian Swimme, Berry developed a “new story” evolutionary cosmology,…
Thomas Berry: The Ecozoic Era
Thomas Berry (1914-2009) was an American cultural historian, religious scholar, cosmologist, leading thinker in the Teilhardian philosophical tradition, and one of the most inspiring ecological thinkers of the 20th century. He analyzed in depth the nature of the alienation of Western culture and spirituality from the Earth. In order for us to succeed as individuals and as a species, Berry argued, we must understand the “story of the universe.” Together with cosmologist Brian Swimme, he developed a “new story” evolutionary cosmology, unifying…
Masanobu Fukuoka: Flying Clouds and the Illusions of Science
Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008), Japanese farmer and philosopher, one of the leading figures of natural farming in the 20th century. After studying agricultural science and microbiology, he worked as a plant pathologist at the Yokohama Customs Office. In 1938, a profound existential crisis led him to a mystical experience of nothingness (Mu) and oneness with nature, after which he decided to resign from his position as a research scientist and return to…