The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitav_Ghosh
Website: https://www.amitavghosh.com/
Ghosh is an Indian writer and essayist. In this book, he addresses human approaches to the climate crisis through the lenses of Stories, History and Politics.
The great strength of the book is Ghosh’s perspective. He is Indian and understands what the imposition of western values through colonialism looks like. He has a sharp eye for the way these alien values distort relationships with the world and human neighbours. He reminds us that colonialism is not the culture of the countries from which it emanated, but rather the culture of the economic and political elites of those countries. Those elites colonised their own people first, then sent these converts out to impose this order upon the whole world.
This produces the Great Derangement, people across the world cut off from their native values and pursuing an agenda that does not benefit them at all.
Perhaps the strongest part of the book is Ghosh’s comparison of the much-heralded 2015 Paris Climate agreement and Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si, “on care for our common home”. He unfavourably compares the pompous, neo-liberal language of Paris with the deep wisdom of the encyclical. Paris makes vague promises (which are being collectively broken across the world) and fails to condemn the systemic conditions which have brought us to this crisis (presumably to remove friction amongst potential signees). Pope Francis points out clearly that things will have to change and that there must be repentance.
The value of this book is a fresh perspective. It is not written by a man from a background of white privilege, well-intentioned as many of these people are. It is written from the point of view of someone who sees the impact of a world system that benefits the few at the expense of the many.
https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-great-derangement-climate-change-and-the-unthinkable/9780226526812
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Originally published at https://chrisjerrey.me on December 12, 2020.
