Copenhagen and the Last Men

George Monbiot has been overdosing on Nietzsche. Either that or he just finished a…

by Andrew Potter on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 9:43am - 4 Comments

George Monbiot has been overdosing on Nietzsche. Either that or he just finished a Fight Club marathon. At any rate:

We are the universal ape, equipped with the ingenuity and aggression to bring down prey much larger than itself, break into new lands, roar its defiance of natural constraints. Now we find ourselves hedged in by the consequences of our nature, living meekly on this crowded planet for fear of provoking or damaging others. We have the hearts of lions and live the lives of clerks.

I fear this chorus of bullies, but I also sympathise. I lead a mostly peaceful life, but my dreams are haunted by giant aurochs. All those of us whose blood still races are forced to sublimate, to fantasise. In daydreams and video games we find the lives that ecological limits and other people’s interests forbid us to live.

Tags:

Bookmark and Share
  • robins111

    George is inconsequential as well as a fool.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

    It's these cheap jibes against fundamental human problems that detract from your credibility as a philosopher and writer.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

    This kind of post drives me up the wall.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/canucklehead canucklehead

    All those of us whose blood still races are forced to sublimate, to fantasise.

    Oooohh, that's interesting. Brings to mind the fascinating moment when I felt the base appeal of believing that the world was slipping swiflty into a roiling environmental catastrophe and I and Man could be heroic again if I joined the great efforts of salvation.

    You have to admit it's a definate upgrade on fascism and communism.

From Macleans