Journal for Ecological and Spiritual Living
Issue 51, Vol. 14 No. 2, Autumn 2004
Matters of Consequence
Matters of Consequence: Creating a Meaningful Life and a World That Works,
by Copthorne Macdonald, Big Ideas Press, 2004, 374 pp., $24.95 paper.Reviewed by Julie Knowles
“We can envision a world worth inhabiting and work to create it.”
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, an appreciation of humanity’s cosmic and global context is already spreading and deepening. Many millions of people recognize the need for large-scale change in several spheres of human activity. During the century's early decades, these people and their organizations craft a gradual transition from the high-consumption world of the twentieth century to a physically sustainable, economically functional, and politically stable world in which everyone has a standard of living adequate for health and well-being. By mid-century, this transition is well on its way to completion. In the industrial nations, although physical consumption has gone down during this transition, the quality of life has actually improved. That is because the new, outer, societal reality is accompanied by an inner cultural reality characterized by vibrant local and global communities, lifelong learning, psychological/spiritual development, personal and societal creativity, and other manifestations of a full, rich life of the mind.”
This quote from Matters of Consequence is what author Copthorne Macdonald calls the short overview of a ‘vision’ for the year 2050. He is optimistic that humans are well on our way toward this vision of healing and repairing the world, and believes that if we understand the human situation “deeply, comprehensively, and clearly, then what needs to be done—both in our personal lives and the world around us—becomes clear.” This book is no less than a luminous guidebook toward such deep understanding and clarity.
Macdonald also advises that each of us is in charge of our own life and his purpose in writing this book is not to tell us what to do with our life, but for us to better understand the world and ourselves. Better understanding—and more specifically, deep understanding—he maintains, is not socially transforming in and of itself but creates a cultural change process that is self-aware, leading to choices and solutions otherwise unavailable. The choices that immediately preface his or any future vision are poignant: denial of the looming global problems; despair and hopelessness that anything can be done about the human/Earth situation; or choosing to embrace a vision of a world worth inhabiting and create it. The last choice is the only one that is wisdom-based and life sustaining, and thus we find ourselves poised at the crucial edge of matters of consequence.
Matters of Consequence is a skillful work of sweeping scope that presents an illuminating tapestry of evolutionary ideas and reveals a design to move humanity to the next stage of development. More than just ideas, it is a synthesis of facts, resources, action, wisdom, and vision, culled from an inspiring list of innovative thinkers and disciplines, in addition to Macdonald’s own research and insights. In its essence this book is about fundamental reality and realizing our place in the cosmos—and intelligent steps toward developing conscious awareness in rapport with evolution itself. The heart of the book lives in deep understanding and a future-generations view that imbues insight and action toward our potential as a culture of human beings. In its soul, the book is about individuals and the human condition—spirits in human form and our eternal quest for meaning, wisdom, and a fulfilling life.
