Life according to the measure of man

An attentive observer of the world’s current events is in danger of falling into resignation or anger, because fear usually causes two reactions: resignation or flight into violence. In recent times, we have also seen the flight into event ecstasy, in which one experiences short-term illusory happiness.
  What is happening in “modern” societies is characterised in the individual sphere by increasing depression and burnout as new mass diseases, by increasing, inexplicable acts of violence – especially by young people – and by ecstatic mass events with hundreds of thousands of young people.
  In the geopolitical sphere, too, aggression follows aggression.
  We currently have 363 violent conflicts, 27 of which are declared wars.
  The only country on earth that has not been involved in a war is small, democratically governed Iceland.
  The following questions arise above all:

• Does the cause lie above all in intemperance, in the asocial gigantomania of globalised social structures?
• How do we get out of the present vicious circle that endangers the entire world?
• Is there a standard for a successful life of individuals and peoples in this crisis-ridden world?!

Smaller social units

My friend, the economist and philosopher Leopold Kohr, who died in 1994, saw the solution in the reduction of the size and the democratic controllability of social units. Together with the English philosopher of history Arnold Toynbee, he noted that all great empires at their zenith broke down because of their remoteness from human beings, despite huge military and administrative apparatuses.
  Societies based on the measure of man are therefore the desideratum of our time.
  But what is this life according to the measure of man to consist of?
  What are the essential adjusting elements that should guide us politically, ecologically, economically and socially?
  I would like to suggest six areas in which we need to make the necessary course correction and bring them into our education systems:

• in terms of respect for our genetic, cultural and social heritage,
• with regard to the respect of the ecological framework conditions,
• in the design and application of modern technologies,
• in the adaptation of the economic framework,
• in the return to traditional international law,
• in the spiritual orientation of our activities.

Regarding the genetic and cultural heritage, Nobel Prize winner for neurology John Eccles and behavioural biologist Hans Zeier in their book “Brain and Mind – Biological Insights into the Prehistory, Nature and Future of Humans”. issued the warning “The earth does not guarantee our survival independently of our behaviour.” They therefore recommend paying attention to our genetic heritage.
  According to this heritage, we are “programmed” for manageable, self-organising groups of about 100 people.
  This has also been noticed in the military field. The Roman centurion was the commander of a hundred and modern companies are also of this size. Mahatma Ghandi aspired to this dimension in his “village industries”.
  Eccles and Zeier therefore literally recommend: “Refraining from further unbundling of functions in agriculture and industry – which is only efficient in the short term – and restoring decentralised, functionally interwoven, socially satisfying small-scale societies with manageable power structures and communication networks; preserving rather than destroying local culture.”
  They emphasise that genetic adaptation is far slower than the rapid current cultural change and design of social systems.
  A considerate and humane pace of adaptation is therefore called for.

Respect of the
biosphere and modern technologies

The ecological framework conditions require that the system principles of the biosphere be observed, namely

• – the solar orientation of the energy systems to the abundant solar energy that radiates into them
• the principle of not taking more out of biological systems than they replenish,
• the cascading use of energy and materials,
• the recycling of man-made material flows,
• the promotion of biological diversity to ensure the stability and buffering capacity of systems,
• and finally, the intelligent decentralisation of supply systems in order to realise the above desiderata.

So we end up with Leopold Kohr’s “right measure”.
  This brings us to the design and application of modern technologies:
  These should be ‘adapted’, i.e. not designed and applied in a way that overcomes nature, but in a synergistic, mutually beneficial way.
  This applies especially to developments in the field of AI (artificial intelligence).
  These can be used for inhuman, anonymous control and oppression – for imposing “digital necessities”, but they can also contribute to the democratic shaping of communities.
  To combat the rampant “digital impotence”, the Vienna University of Technology has established a UNESCO Chair of Digital Humanism to research the ethical, social and political consequences of digital technologies.
  The adjustment of the economic framework conditions must above all include the reform of the current property, financial and trade systems.

New order of economy and finance

In his socio-political parable Utopia, Thomas More postulated only entrusted property committed to the common good and rejected uncontrolled ownership.
  Modern ESR (Economic Social Responsibility) and ESG (Economic Social Governance), as well as environmental and social reporting requirements for companies and communities can be seen as a step in this direction.
  In the financial sector, money creation should be shifted back to the communities in order to finance them cost-effectively and to avoid anonymous dependency.
  Peacemaking, democratic governance power should replace covert financial and resource wars. International institutions should be transformed from instruments of domination towards institutions of promotion.
  I have elaborated on this in my manifesto, which is available in eight languages.
  The international trade order should integrate environmental and social agreements as mandatory and, above all, implement the country of destination principle.
  The latter means that free import is only allowed if compliance with the social and environmental standards of the country of destination is made evident in the production of the good or service concerned.

Return to
traditional international law …

Above all, there must be a turn away from the “rules-based” international vassal order that the current hegemon is trying to impose, towards traditional international law.
  This must once again enable the small nations to participate in a respected, equal and sovereign manner.
  The invoked ‘family of mankind’ must consist of children with equal rights and dignity.

… and spiritual orientation

I think, however, that the movens for the realisation of all the previously mentioned adjusting elements is spiritual orientation. In the absence of this, illusory solutions and justifications will dominate the individual and global scene.
  Albert Camus, who himself could not believe in transcendence, formulated the consequence of this lack as follows:
  “In the absence of transcendent consolation, one might fall into lethargy, into amorality, or even hedonism.”
  “In a world that seems to have lost all spiritual support and in which all conventional offers of meaning have been exposed as deceptions what is the point of commitment?”
  And yet he has given himself the advocacy of human dignity and understanding as the meaning of life ...
  One of France’s most brutal politicians – Georges Clemenceau – in a bright hour coined the phrase: “The true revolution on this earth would take place if people decided to live by the precepts of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.”
  That the emerging multipolar world order may be shaped by this maxim – this is what I pray and campaign for.  •

(Translation Current Concerns)

* Heinrich Wohlmeyer, born 1936 in St. Pölten; Gen. Dir. a.D.; Hon. Prof. Dipl. Ing agr. Dr iur; Dipl. in Law, studied agriculture and law in Vienna, studied “Agricultural Economics and Business Administration” as a Fulbright scholarship holder in the USA and did his doctorate in London on “International Commodity Steering Agreements”. He worked for 20 years in industry, regional development and trade policy. Wohlmeyer was a research manager for more than ten years. He taught at the Vienna University of Technology and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna. Early on, he was concerned with sustainability issues, circular economy and economic, ecological and social undesirable developments. Various awards and numerous publications.