Lex
Hypothesis: #solarpunk has four core ingredients (must-haves):
🔧A benign (yet critical) perspective on the helpfulness of technology.
✊A fierce egalitarianism, rejecting systems of oppression like (among others) capitalism, racism, sexism.
🕶A hopeful (but not naive!) outlook on the future of humanity.
🌍A strong determination to achieve a human lifestyle within planetary boundaries.
Would you agree?
Did I miss any?
Or would you argue that one of them is not essential for solarpunk?
Sean Bala
@lex First of all, glad to hear from you more here - hope all has been well!
I think that items 1, 3 and 4 are good.
I can see where people might get tripped up about egalitarianism.
I'm a bit like you - I came to #Solarpunk from an interest in environmental movements and the feeling that many environmental ethics and philosophies need to think more critically about culture. And the need to give a more positive or hopeful (but not naive) vision.
1/x
Sean Bala
@lex The longer I have been around #solarpunk, the more concerns I have about the politically-inflected / anarchist strains. They ARE a part of Solarpunk but not the center. I don't think Solarpunk is green anarchism. It is something much more interesting. I think if Solarpunk is only seen though a political lens, it won't bring in many people. I really liked the recent podcast from @solarpunkpresents where @xtinadlr mentions that anarchism seems to have a quite a bit of rules.
2/
Sean Bala
@lex @solarpunkpresents @xtinadlr I've had a theory that anarchism (and its twin libertarianism) have contradiction built in as political movements: they need to have some structures but tend to attract people who are contrarian and don't like structures.
I think that one of the things that distinguishes #Solarpunk from things that have come before is a sense of joy and playfulness. It does not need to be angry. Determined and driven. But not necessarily angry.
3/
Sean Bala
@lex @solarpunkpresents @xtinadlr I would add two thoughts to your formula. First, I think that an essential aspect of #Solarpunk is a community spirit. It is about the development of robust, sustainable, and supportive communities where all can express themselves and find a place.
Second, I draw from my Anglican theology and say that you have constructed a Solarpunk chair (like the Anglican stool of scripture, reason, and tradition).
4/
Sean Bala
@lex @solarpunkpresents @xtinadlr Second, I would use the metaphor drawn from Anglican theology of the Anglican Stool. In Anglicanism, the idea is that we have three-legged stool of Scripture, Reason, and Tradition. You need all three in balance to be successful. In your case, you have #Solarpunk chair. I think you need all four of your aspects in balance each other out. Maybe a fifth with community?
5/
Sean Bala
@lex @solarpunkpresents @xtinadlr I've been thinking about writing an essay along these lines, along with another essay arguing that Solarpunk should look at virtue ethics frameworks when thinking about how to be a truly global movement. But that will be done in my copious free time!
6/6
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