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First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come
by David J. Temple

Goodreads

This book outlines CosmoErotic Humanism, a philosophical movement aiming to reconstruct value in global culture and address the meta-crisis, encompassing existential and catastrophic risks to humanity and the planet.

The Core Argument:

  • Humanity faces two existential threats: the death of humanity (species extinction) and the death of our humanity (degeneration of our values, freedom, and personhood).
  • These threats stem from a global intimacy disorder, characterized by a collapse of value at the heart of culture, leading to alienation, fragile systems, and rivalrous conflict.
  • To survive, humanity must redefine value, move from pre-tragic to post-tragic consciousness, and embrace conscious evolution.
  • Evolving First Principles and First Values embedded in a Story of Value offer a roadmap to navigate the meta-crisis and transition to Homo amor, a new stage of human evolution.

Key Concepts:

  • First Principles and First Values: Universal and evolving truths inherent to Cosmos, such as uniqueness, Eros, intimacy, desire, relationship, evolution, harmony, freedom, and story.
  • Universal Grammar of Value: A shared language of value that serves as a context for human diversity and fosters global coherence and intimacy.
  • Story of Value: The narrative arc of reality, driven by First Principles and First Values, revealing a conversational Cosmos that is both contingent and designed.
  • Anthro-Ontology: A method of knowledge acquisition that emphasizes the inherent interconnectedness of human consciousness with reality, transcending the naturalistic fallacy.
  • Evolving Perennialism: A philosophy recognizing the eternality and evolution of value, integrating the insights of premodern, modern, and postmodern thought.

Solutions:

  • CosmoErotic Humanism: Offers a new worldview and ethical framework grounded in ErosValue, the love-intelligence that animates reality.
  • Homo amor: A new, more evolved human characterized by a deepening of intimacy, conscious participation in the evolutionary story, and omniconsideration for the whole.
  • The Crossing: A transition from Homo sapiens to Homo amor, involving a radical shift in consciousness and a reclaiming of value.

Warnings:

  • TechnoFeudalism: A possible future where digital technologies are used for large-scale social control, potentially leading to the death of our humanity.
  • The Collapse of Value: Postmodernity's deconstruction of value has left a void that fuels alienation, conflict, and existential risk.

This book presents a bold and provocative vision for humanity's future, urging readers to embrace the power of ErosValue and become agents of conscious evolution. It invites a deeper exploration of First Principles and First Values and challenges us to reimagine our relationship with ourselves, each other, and the Cosmos.