Gray, as we have seen, is not much interested in humanity, that plague on the planet as he calls us. ‘The single greatest threat to global ecological stability comes from human population growth’, he writes in ‘An Agenda for Green Conservatism’ (1992). A ‘crowded world choked with noise and filth’, he continues, will not only lead to ecological collapse but will deny ‘the human need for solitude and wilderness’.But why would someone who thinks of us a plague on the planet care about our need for solitude or wilderness? Sounds phony to me.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Gray indeed ...
... John Gray: the poster boy for misanthropy. (Hat tip, Judith Fitzgerald.)
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Such opinions are far more reflective of the individual than of humanity as a whole.
ReplyDeleteSomeone such as the late Fred Rogers would disagree with virtually every point he raises, and feel equally sincere in his beliefs. So who is right? Does it really matter? And if it doesn't, and Gray offers no insights into the human condition that are worthwhile, why are we bothering with the old sourpuss in the first place?
Excellent point, Bill! Bravo.
ReplyDeleteHeh, I was just the messenger on sending this link, nothing more. I took no sides and certainly did not / do not endorse its writer, subject, POV, etc., etc..
ReplyDeleteI used the boilerplate "Email Article" function and do not wish to be aligned with Gray in the slightest. E-gawds, no.
I sent the link because I believed Gray was one of the guys whose work interested you, in the same way Hitchens or Dawkins does, e.g..
Don't shoot me; I'm just the poker player :) . . .
That's what I figured, Judith. I've posted a lot about Gray. Sometimes he even writes something I agree with. Bryan likes him. I link, you decide.
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