The Great Turning: Five Considerations

THE GREAT TURNING: FIVE CONSIDERATIONS
Presentation and Discussion with Greg Jan

Buddhist ecophilosopher Joanna Macy calls the ecological shift that’s currently underway “The Great Turning.” After we briefly discuss 3 dimensions of the Great Turning that Macy has identified, we’ll explore other topics related to the emergence of the Great Turning — these 5 topics in particular:

1 — Maturity (from humanity as an adolescent
to humanity as an adult)

2 — Humility and Human Limitations (illusions of progress
and inherent human flaws)

3 — Happiness (vs. economic growth — or “need vs. greed”)

4 — Grassroots Democracy (from prehistoric tribalism
to New England town meetings, and beyond)

5 — Love (love as an orientation of character,
love of all human beings, the Golden Rule, and more)

For inspiration, Greg will bring short excerpts from some of the following books which he will hand out for us to read:

Active Hope and World as Lover, World as Self, by Joanna Macy;
Awakening Earth and Promise Ahead by Duane Elgin;
The Great Turning by David Korten;
Come Home, America by William Greider;
Waking the Global Heart by Anodea Judith;
Nature and the Human Soul by Bill Plotkin;
I Don’t Believe In Atheists by Chris Hedges;
Enough Is Enough by Rob Dietz and Dan O’Neill;
Techno-Fix by Michael and Joyce Huesemann;
The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett;
The Art of Loving and The Sane Society by Erich Fromm;
The Democracy Project by David Graeber;
The Next American Revolution by Grace Lee Boggs;
All About Love by Bell Hooks.

Humanist Hall is wheelchair accessible around the corner at 411 28th Street

$5 donations are expected