‘Does an ecological civilization have to be Socialist?’

[Hugh Williams]

Dear Folks,

‘Does an ecological civilization have to be Socialist?’

(Now having resolved somewhat, at least for myself, certain lingering questions regarding Karl Rahner’s philosophical-theology and its treatment of the question of being in his dense and difficult Spirit in the World, I’d like to move back to the pressing issues of political-economy that seem to be overtaking us. And in doing so … )

… I’m wondering if there be others interested in a re-introduction of what at one time was called ‘Christian-Marxist dialogue’.

My specific interest in doing this is to give a serious reading of John Raymaker’s and Pierre Whalon’s important recent text “Attentive, Intelligent, Rational, and Responsible (AIRR)” (Marquette, 2023), that in some respects took shape in and around this Lonergan-google-discussion-group, a certain vigor that it might not otherwise have …

Too many Lonerganians are not aware of, or simply overlook, the thoroughly radical aspects of Lonergan’s work. As AIRR puts it following Lonergan early on in the text (my gloss) – ‘we have toxic corporate capitalist policies obstructing mutual comprehension. The better educated have become a class closed in on themselves undertaking no task proportionate to their training (and privilege) … in effect they have become effete. The less educated find themselves with a tradition that is beyond their means. The meaning and value of life are impoverished and the will to achieve slackened. Joy and sorrow have been replaced with pleasure and pain; culture becomes a slum.’(Pxxii)

Clearly our present circumstances make this aspect of Lonergan’s analysis highly relevant for us today.

Raymaker and Whalon are keenly aware of this and their text can be read as entering into what I’m calling a Christian-Marxist dialogue with a renewed vigor, albeit from the Christian side of the discussion-debate. I’m interpreting their involved argument as saying in effect that Lonergan’s sophisticated representation of the Christian position is an important theoretical and practical advance that is, again, highly relevant and even urgently needed for us today amidst these very troubled circumstances.

So, I’m suggesting that ‘we’, or at least some of us, consider this claim in terms of Raymaker’s and Whalon’s important and recent text, and perhaps also in relation to a much more general but nonetheless very challenging question for us in the so-called West … ‘does an ecological civilization have to be Socialist?’ (and as an indication of an area of important research and interpretation relevant for this discussion-debate see attached …)

please, let's have some feed-back on this ...

thanks again

Hugh