One World

52) Care for our Common Home

Posted 23rd December 2016

In blog post 21, dated 20th May 2016, I expressed my intention to read Pope Francis' encyclical, "Laudato si', On Care for our Common Home". I did read through the first few chapters, but haven't yet returned to it. However, I understand it to be a plea to the World to care for our common home, planet Earth, to be sensitive to the alarming signals pointing to climate change, poverty and conflict, and to take the appropriate remedial action in a timely fashion. I strongly encourage everyone to read it, and I still intend to do so fully and properly.

To me, Pope Francis seems a very good and humble man. His encyclical seems to demonstrate his desire for humanity to take care of one another and the home we all share, Planet Earth. As a cardinal, he rejected the limousine he was granted use of by the Church, and chose to ride public transport alongside the working people of Buenos Aires. As Pope, he has refused expensive clothing, and dresses in a humble manner. Rather than enjoy a ceremonial cortege on the day he became Pope, he took the bus designated for the cardinals to return to his hotel to personally pay his bill. He lives in a relatively humble part of the Vatican, refusing the splendor of the Papal residence. He washed the feet of prison inmates in an expression of his humility and faith. He is immensely popular and loved, and reaches out to other faiths to find reconciliation.

Prayer of Saint Francis

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life."

So why does the World largely ignore Pope Francis's encyclical? As well intentioned as I like to think I am, my own laziness and procrastination has meant that I also have not completed reading it. Imagine, instead, that the whole World's population were ordered to 'care for our common home', to eliminate poverty, and to care for every individual on Earth now and yet to come. I believe the diverse and amazing skill set which comprises humanity today could make this happen. But instead, the World today obeys the mandates of politicians comprised of a competing collection of lawyers, business men, tycoons, and so on. Special interest groups funded by big business seem to have a strong influence in what candidates are presented to the electorate and the policies of the elected officials. That is, government seems to exist primarily to serve and enable big business who's only concern is the end of year financial statement. Successful politicians and business people, who often achieved success through ruthless ambition, compromising their ethics for position and profit, often seem to gladly enjoy luxury while those they should be serving struggle in poverty.

You may argue that experienced business men and politicians are good at getting their own way, and that by siding with them you avoid being on the losing side - but that's a mistake. There should be no losing side - everyone on Earth should be on the winning side.

So what does Pope Francis know about politics or business? Probably not much. I understand he received help writing the scientific components of his encyclical, so he's not an expert on the science of climate change either, not before he began research for his encyclical anyway. But let me explain why someone, some constitution, some computer program, or some robot with the simple desire for doing what is best for everyone might be good as a global authority, a benevolent dictator, with the following simple story.

Night Rider

A man decides he wants to visit a friend who lives 250 miles away. He steps into his computer controlled electric car, and makes himself comfortable.

"Where to sir?" says the car.

The man tells the car his friend's address.

"Thank you sir," says the car.

The on board computer communicates with a system of satellites and determines the expected journey time and time of arrival, allowing for a stoppage at a diner for a snack and comfort break en-route. The car then informs the man of these details.

"Now put on a movie - an old classic," said the man.

"Rogue One, sir?"

"Yeah!"

______________

In the preceding little story, the man was in complete charge of the car, that is, he dictated where he wanted to go. The man had no idea how the car technically achieved this. He didn't understand the satellite communication system which guided and communicated with the car, he didn't know how the car mapped out and found its way along the complex route to his friends house, he didn't even know how to drive a car. But I expect the story makes perfectly good sense to you i.e. the man expressed his desire, and decades of research and development, complex computing and communications technology, and mechanical engineering were called into service to obey the man's command.

A benevolent dictator could be like the man in that car, if the World allowed him/her/it to be. He/she/it would express their wish for the World to care for its common home, and the immense expertise around the World would service that command. Like the man travelling to see his friend, the benevolent dictator doesn't need to know how it is achieved - that's where the obedient population of the Earth comes in. The benevolent dictator just needs to ask to go to the right place, a World where EVERYONE is cared for, and everyone would cooperate to plan, calculate, then put into action the optimal solution to that order. If the World needs an authority in charge of the whole World it need only be someone who or something which cares for the whole World. That authority does not need to know how to technically achieve that care, the people can work that out. Similarly, Captain Jean Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise needn't know how the various highly skilled and experienced crew, the mechanical and software elements, and so on technically manages to obey his command to rush to the help of a failing planet, he need only say, "Make it so."

As for the religious content of Laudato si', this needn't alienate non-Roman Catholics. Whilst I strongly suspect, from a logical standpoint, that there is a perfect wisdom throughout the infinite cosmos, and that that wisdom has existed forever, I do not adhere to the specifics of any particular religion. I simply want the World to do what is best for all sentient beings, and for all time to come. This seems to be the essence of Laudato si', and is what I reason to be in every sentient earthling's best interests.    

Star Trek TNG - Make It So