(On Daniel Quinn’s Novel Ishmael – I highly recommend this book!)
Daniel Quinn brings to light many interesting concepts in his novel Ishmael. His highly amusing character selection of a wise gorilla as the “teacher” and a human as his “pupil” is also highly ironic; due to the fact humans are to have evolved from primates. We usually consider ourselves above our primitive cousins, and have nothing to learn from them. Yet, here is a wise gorilla teaching humankind how to save the world by living in harmony with natural law. Yet, the God-like complex of the “taker” civilization has humanity believing the world is ours to conquer. Why are we so afraid of natural law? Why MUST we conquer and control everything? AND, here’s the kicker – we cannot survive without nature. We may be powerful but we are not immortal. We have consciousness – but we are not above nature.
Is the “taker” civilization destructive enough to stop evolution in its tracks, or will equilibrium eventually be achieved with or without our support? If humans are just a blip in the evolutionary process what will our successors evolve into? What human traits are worth keeping?
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