Oldal 24 [24]
OCR
22 | Tue Puitosopuy or Eco-Pouitics beginning and end of the linear time of Christian salvation history, i.e., creation and the Day of Judgment (after which, as is well-known, there will be no time), the straight and irreversible chronological perspective of endless progress stretches before us. Only the initial, providential meaning is missing. This is what the this-worldly salvation history of historical progress was designed to replace. The faith in progress has spread like a new religion throughout the civilised world. The role of redeemer is played here by scientific knowledge, which serves the rise of man through the defeat of nature. In the Early Modern period, the mysterious creative power attributed to knowledge, namely that it will create something hitherto non-existent in the world, was linked to the very much tangible concept of power. The ambition of the experimenting alchemist or natural scientist was to rule over the elements, much as a ruler and his wise advisors rule over the people. This is a knowledge that grants its possessor the power necessary to carry something out. The natural sciences ultimately serve the exploitation of the natural resources, i.e., production, while the social sciences serve the direction of social processes, i.e., the reproduction of social conditions. The two are clearly connected, since the application of scientific technology leads to the plenty of produced goods and plenty is needed for people to be able to freely follow their goals independently from each other. The established anthropological understanding identified these with the satisfaction of various needs and chose as its concept of freedom the undisturbed satisfaction of needs, for everyone and ad infinitum. ‘This is ensured by the scientific organisation of society. All this takes place in front of the (rather depressing) horizon of an infinite future. Therefore, the increase of knowledge, the power attained by knowledge and the good deeds of this power must likewise be infinite. Among these dogmas of belief in progress there is not one which has not been shown to be untenable, yet these stale tenets are being taught in schools even today, they are appealed to during political decisions and they are the consolation of the media consumer (who is not even aware that knowledge is not something that can even be “consumed” and that therefore what they is really consuming is by definition Ignorance itself). Briefly put, this is why we are rushing unstoppably into destruction. Never has the prevarication, irresponsibility and cowardice of the learned had such fatal consequences as in our times. So, let us see what is really happening.
