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Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: a Call to the Abolition of Systemic Dissonance and the Minimization of Entropic Chaos" (2018)

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Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: a Call to the Abolition of Systemic Dissonance and the Minimization of Entropic Chaos Follow this and additional works at: https://fordham.bepress.com/environ_2015 Part of the Advertising and Promotion Management Commons, African American Studies Commons, African History Commons, African Languages and Societies Commons, Agribusiness Commons, Agricultural Economics Commons, Agricultural Education Commons, Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Law Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, American Film Studies Commons, American Literature Commons, American Material Culture Commons, American Popular Culture Commons, Apiculture Commons, Applied Ethics Commons, Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Commons, Beef Science Commons, Behavior and Ethology Commons, Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering Commons, Biodiversity Commons, Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Biogeochemistry Commons, Biological Engineering Commons, Biological Factors 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History Commons, Quantum Physics Commons, Reading and Language Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Rhetoric Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Social History Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Soil Science Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons, Sustainability Commons, Systems Biology Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, Theory and Criticism Commons, Thermodynamics Commons, Toxicology Commons, United States History Commons, Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons, Viticulture and Oenology Commons, Water Resource Management Commons, Women's History Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Brender, Arielle, "Radical Social Ecology as Deep Pragmatism: A Call to the Abolition of Systemic Dissonance and the Minimization of Entropic Chaos" (2018). Student Theses 2015-Present. 72. https://fordham.bepress.com/environ_2015/72 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Environmental Studies at DigitalResearch@Fordham. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Theses 2015-Present by an authorized administrator of DigitalResearch@Fordham. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Brender !1 Radical Social Ecology as Deep Pragmatism: A Call to the Abolition of Systemic Dissonance and the Minimization of Entropic Chaos Arielle Brender Brender !2 Abstract: This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim to run counter to the natural flow of the Cosmos. In Chapter 1, I discuss the pragmatism of systemic biomimicry and the tenets of ecology which must be assumed for the construction of effective human systems. In Chapter 2, the notion of construct is explored through the lense of metaphysical grounding. In Chapter 3, I explicate the dominant human systems [of oppression] which attempt to govern our human world and their discongruence with Natural Systems. In Chapter 4, tools for dismantling and reconstructing our sloppily-designed systems from a pluralistic base are explored. Chapter 5 focuses on the role of the individual in regard to the conscious evolution of the whole. Chapter 6 concludes with mention of the absurdity in the mainstream notion of ‘sustainability,’ and the pragmatism of hope. The radical pragmatism pursued in this work aims at a qualitative shift in society moreso than a quantitative one. Keywords: radical pragmatism, social ecology, absurdity, biomimicry, evolution of consciousness, entropy, fulfilment, oppression Brender !3 Acknowledgements There are many peers, mentors, professors, and relatives who have guided me, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually, through the creation of this work. Jon Trimarco, thank you for showing me what deep and radical systemic alignment looks like. Judith Green, thank you for professing wisdom, not merely knowledge. Olivia Greenspan, thank you for melding the deeply personal with the sharply intellectual, allowing me to learn from you via friendship and fun. Abby Ahgrim, Clare Bassi, and Harper Simpson, thank you for weaving this network of power and proactive change with me. Caroline MacCleod, thank you for teaching me and reminding me of my ability to view the representations of the mundane as unique and extraordinary. Professor Van Buren, thank you for supporting me in writing this thesis as a book. I appreciate your trust in my unconventional methods. Mommy and Abba, thank you challenging me intellectually. Our arguments create the system of checks and balances I so greatly need. Brender !4 Table of Contents Foreword Introduction: Radical Pragmatism as Aligned Pragmatism Chapter 1: Tenets of Ecology & The Pragmatism of Systemic Biomimicry Chapter 2: The Creative Power of the Word & the Groundlessness of Construct Chapter 3: Dominant Human Systems [Of Oppression] Chapter 4: Living with Cognitive Dissonance- What to Do? Chapter 5: The Crucial Role of the Individual Chapter 6: The Absurdity of Sustainability & The Pragmatism of Hope Bibliography Brender !5 Foreword The context of this work is crucial to its ability to be authentically understood. My intentionally
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