Mother Culture In Ishmael

Ishmael, Mother Culture, and Earth in the Twenty-First Century Ishmael is the most relevant environmental novel of the twentieth century, and it continues to be relevant today. Ishmael throws light upon the fact – hushed, to humanity by cultural conditioning - that human supremacy is a false idea. People need to read Ishmael because without the crucial knowledge that “we have much to learn from indigenous hunter/gatherer societies about who we are as humans and how to coexist sustainably with nature,” consumerist society will continue the annihilation and devastation of everything in its wake until there is nothing left for it to destroy and it is left with only one option: to consume itself. Out of necessity, environmental issues are …show more content…
Ishmael teaches that humanity is not exempt from these natural laws, even if one chooses to ignore them. Mother Culture (which is consumerist culture, in this instance) preaches more, more, more in all areas of life. She whispers about exponential growth, and exponential gain, saying nothing of sustainability, or harming future generations. Mother Culture whispers that just as they always have, someone someday will invent something that will fix the problems humanity has created, and that there is no need to stop growth; to stop production. Mother Culture teaches that humans are not subject to the laws of the natural world; that they have such power and knowledge to be gods, or they have the capacity for the world to be in their grip and under their control. This is a fallacy. Ishmael is an essential piece of literature if turning around this destruction that consumerist society has created will be feasible. The truth remains that the human race is running out of time. Capitalism and consumerism will be the downfall of the world as it's known today if humanity can't reverse the damage it has done. The good news is that if humanity as a whole can work together, they can end this. The world can be a healthier, better, place for all who inhabit