Steve Brett

What is Mimesis and Why Does it Matter?

The Intrusion of Gaia Bruno Latour begins his book Facing Gaia by telling us that although we have known for thirty years that we are facing an “ecological crisis,” we have remained “astonishingly calm” about it. Even the word “crisis”, he writes, implies that it is something that will “soon be behind us.” Even the word “ecological” he suggests, keeps

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Regeneration @ the School of Human Ecology: A Shanghai Story

Covid 19 and Returning to China 3rd Space: Welcome Lionel. So, could you give us some background about what you were doing in the UK prior to moving back to China last year. Lionel: Hello Steve, yes. I took my wife and two children to London, in 2018. I was there to do a doctorate at the London campus of

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Ethics and the Queer World of Quantum Mechanics

The Burden of Meaning Making Traditionally, for hundreds of years, religion was the source of ethics, the unquestioned authority on how to live and act. In the secular West today, in case you hadn’t noticed, this is no longer the case. The burden of meaning-making is now firmly on our own shoulders. The primary reasons for this are the triumph

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The New Prophets: Spirituality in a Metamodern World

Looking at how the progressive world is responding to the meta-crisis, it is encouraging to see an accelerating awareness that we are not in only in a desperate climate and ecological crisis, but even more fundamentally a civilisational and existential one. The response to this is as multifaceted as befits our heterodox times. Everything from Climate Activism to Regenerative Cultures,

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Examining the Sensitive Self

In 2004, the psychologist Michael Eigen wrote a book called, “The Sensitive Self”. He examines sensitivity as our essential humanness, and ultimately as constituting the basis of humane ethics. In this short essay, I am taking the liberty of looking at the concept in a different light. That is, as a way of understanding the privilege that was granted to

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Disobedience and the State

“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Oscar Wilde As every day passes, it is becoming obvious that the world is moving into uncharted territory because of the climate emergency. Can you hear it coming? Because it is. Gandhi

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3rd Space unplugged – Patriarchy, identity and monotheism

Patriarchy, identity and monotheism. How they function in the relationship between coloniser and colonised. In the fifth of our unplugged cross-cultural discussions, 3rd Space continues the conversation with Mumbaikers, Abhishek Thakore of the Blue Ribbon Movement, and actress Suruchi Aulakh. We look at the role of patriarchy, identity, and monotheism in scarcity cultures and in the relationship between coloniser and

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3rd Space unplugged -Truth and Reconciliation

Truth and Reconciliation – Reconciliation between the global north and south must be the foundation for a new world culture to emerge. In the fourth of our unplugged global discussions, 3rd Space continues the conversation with Mumbaikers, Abhishek Thakore of the Blue Ribbon Movement, and actress Suruchi Aulakh. We discuss why truth and reconciliation between coloniser and colonised is a

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3rd Space unplugged – Spiral Dynamics through an Indic Lens

Raghu Ananthanarayanan speaks with Abhishek Thakore: understanding the developmental model of Spiral Dynamics through an Indic lens. Raghu Ananthanarayanan has a Postgraduate Degree in Bio-Medical Engineering from IIT Madras. He spent a decade of intense study of Yoga with Yogaachaarya T Krishnamaachaarya and Desikachar, and extended time with J Krishnamurti and Sri Dharampal. He has considerable experience in transforming organisational

Read More

What is Mimesis and Why Does it Matter?

The Intrusion of Gaia Bruno Latour begins his book Facing Gaia by telling us that although we have known for thirty years that we are facing an “ecological crisis,” we have remained “astonishingly calm” about it. Even the word “crisis”, he writes, implies that it is something that will “soon be behind us.” Even the word “ecological” he suggests, keeps

Read More

Regeneration @ the School of Human Ecology: A Shanghai Story

Covid 19 and Returning to China 3rd Space: Welcome Lionel. So, could you give us some background about what you were doing in the UK prior to moving back to China last year. Lionel: Hello Steve, yes. I took my wife and two children to London, in 2018. I was there to do a doctorate at the London campus of

Read More

Ethics and the Queer World of Quantum Mechanics

The Burden of Meaning Making Traditionally, for hundreds of years, religion was the source of ethics, the unquestioned authority on how to live and act. In the secular West today, in case you hadn’t noticed, this is no longer the case. The burden of meaning-making is now firmly on our own shoulders. The primary reasons for this are the triumph

Read More

The New Prophets: Spirituality in a Metamodern World

Looking at how the progressive world is responding to the meta-crisis, it is encouraging to see an accelerating awareness that we are not in only in a desperate climate and ecological crisis, but even more fundamentally a civilisational and existential one. The response to this is as multifaceted as befits our heterodox times. Everything from Climate Activism to Regenerative Cultures,

Read More

Examining the Sensitive Self

In 2004, the psychologist Michael Eigen wrote a book called, “The Sensitive Self”. He examines sensitivity as our essential humanness, and ultimately as constituting the basis of humane ethics. In this short essay, I am taking the liberty of looking at the concept in a different light. That is, as a way of understanding the privilege that was granted to

Read More

Disobedience and the State

“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Oscar Wilde As every day passes, it is becoming obvious that the world is moving into uncharted territory because of the climate emergency. Can you hear it coming? Because it is. Gandhi

Read More

3rd Space unplugged – Patriarchy, identity and monotheism

Patriarchy, identity and monotheism. How they function in the relationship between coloniser and colonised. In the fifth of our unplugged cross-cultural discussions, 3rd Space continues the conversation with Mumbaikers, Abhishek Thakore of the Blue Ribbon Movement, and actress Suruchi Aulakh. We look at the role of patriarchy, identity, and monotheism in scarcity cultures and in the relationship between coloniser and

Read More

3rd Space unplugged -Truth and Reconciliation

Truth and Reconciliation – Reconciliation between the global north and south must be the foundation for a new world culture to emerge. In the fourth of our unplugged global discussions, 3rd Space continues the conversation with Mumbaikers, Abhishek Thakore of the Blue Ribbon Movement, and actress Suruchi Aulakh. We discuss why truth and reconciliation between coloniser and colonised is a

Read More

3rd Space unplugged – Spiral Dynamics through an Indic Lens

Raghu Ananthanarayanan speaks with Abhishek Thakore: understanding the developmental model of Spiral Dynamics through an Indic lens. Raghu Ananthanarayanan has a Postgraduate Degree in Bio-Medical Engineering from IIT Madras. He spent a decade of intense study of Yoga with Yogaachaarya T Krishnamaachaarya and Desikachar, and extended time with J Krishnamurti and Sri Dharampal. He has considerable experience in transforming organisational

Read More