Ways of Being by James Bridle
Rene Descartes famously declared “cogito, ergo sum” (I think therefore I am) as the first principle of his philosophy. It’s a reasonable philosophical position; being able to think is the basis of existence and hence, knowledge. Sadly, this has been widely interpreted ever since as meaning that only human beings, animals that without doubt think, are the sole exponents of meaningful being. Humans exist and matter, the rest of the world does not have our self-awareness and does not matter.
This is so obviously an error of judgement. Anyone who owns a dog knows that they think. Likewise, pigs, crows, dolphins and gorillas all exhibit behaviours which we can recognise and strongly suggest that they think and act upon their thoughts. If these complex animals can think, why shouldn’t simple animals also think in ways that are less recognisable to us than the behaviour of dogs. The interpretation of Descartes’ philosophy has been the basis of a long standing attitude that humans are the peak of creation, the only species that really matters. But if we do not have the means to examine the inner lives of other animals, how can we actually comment upon them and their level of intelligence? If we have no means of comparing ourselves to other animals, our claim to unique self-awareness and intelligence cannot be tested and thus become meaningless.
This is the situation addressed by James Bridle’s book as he introduces us to non-human intelligence. Obviously, animal intelligence features highly but he also points out that human organisations like corporations and charities have legal personhood and demonstrate behaviours that are more than the sum of the human beings that constitute them.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is currently a hot topic. There is much discussion about the impact of ChatGPT and its ability to create text that passes for that written by humans. Fears have been expressed that AI will destroy education and business and ultimately threaten humanity by becoming all powerful. AI is also brought into the discussion of non-human intelligence because although humans created it, by design it behaves autonomously.
Bringing these intelligences together as different Ways of Being is the core of Bridle’s book. His is not an Enlightenment worldview with humanity and human intelligence as the crown of creation. Rather he proposes an ecology of intelligence, where human, more-than-human, animal, plant and artificial intelligence occupy the world together and enjoy productive relationships. This echoes broader ecological thinking where the rampant human terraforming of the world is being increasingly rejected in favour of an ecological and less domineering relationship with the planet.
Central to these paradigm shifts is a realisation that Western, capitalist, industrial, Enlightenment thinking has shown its limitations and got us into a perilous place. Europeans have spent much of the last 400 years invading, enslaving and plundering the rest of the world. Although this has made European elites enormously wealthy, it has impoverished the rest of the planet. Not only has this imperial programme stripped the world of its diversity of natural life, it has created massive inequality. The great challenge of the 21st century is to address the devastation caused by the colonial industrial growth model. This is a challenge for all human beings. The wealthy elites must admit their part in this rampage and accept a redistribution of their wealth. The masses in wealthy countries need to put their voting power behind leaders who will commit to difficult and potentially unpopular changes that will lead the world away from peril. Scientists and intellectuals must explain how we need to change and save ourselves. Bridle is clear, none of this can be accomplished with the old mindset of humans as dominant. Instead he proposes a mindset of solidarity.
This is a powerful idea. Solidarity requires that we support those with whom we have common cause. We must be willing to overlook differences and proceed with love, tolerance and empathy. Solidarity with the other beings on this planet requires us to stop claiming the right to plunder and impoverish. Our fellow humans, animals, plants and the planet itself become our partners and worthy of our respect. This rebalancing requires us to admit our own ignorance of other ways of being and simply accept them. No judgement, no attempts to dominate, just acceptance. We must accept limitations, boundaries of love and tolerance, mindful of all the entities around us.
Bridle wants us to realise that it’s not all about us. Human superiority in the world, especially that of the industrial capitalist west, has come at a terrible price. It’s time to change, to recognise that the other people, animals and ecosystems in the world are valuable in themselves. We are no better than them, they are our brothers and sisters. Ways of Being challenges the reader to embrace this more diverse and tolerant way of thinking. It is one of those books that bring a fresh insight and open the windows of the mind. For anyone seeking to prepare themselves for the uncertain and challenging times ahead, it is well worth reading.
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