AN Idea for a better world

terraism

A Book by Dr. Ted Ganten

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Teasers ...

We live in the best of all worlds. Yet. If we continue as is, we will soon put an end to the success story of Homo Sapiens – and perhaps also to our whole planet. So now is the time for a fresh start. A new start that will turn some of our dear views upside down. It is crucial for the survival of humanity to no longer place humans at the center of our thinking, but rather our planet. A new ethic must be developed that focuses on the preservation of the earth as a habitat for all existing and future forms of life. Such a change of perspective will only happen if we have a common goal that goes beyond the preservation of the planet. A goal that inspires us, a human dream that motivates us to give our very best. And last but not least, in order to pursue this dream of mankind we need an organization that offers more efficiency, continuity and identification potential than nations or associations of states. The booklet asks the right questions and offers solutions. It is neither a scientific treatise nor a academic, philosophical discourse. It is a call for action. It wants to be questioned, thought out and implemented – by people who recognize the destructive potential of Homo Sapiens – but decide to turn their attention to the potential. People who do not want to stop progress, but shape it. Are you with us?

Homo sapiens has existed for about 200,000 years. An evolutionary success story that could soon come to an inglorious end. Not necessarily because we are blowing up the earth into small pieces, but because we are standing on each other´s feet and at the same time psychologically move further and further apart. Cyborgs, transgenic and other living beings, which are physically and intellectually superior to homo sapiens, are not pure science fiction, but in part already reality today. So, it´s high time to think ahead. The booklet counters the widespread dystopian fantasies and apocalyptic end-time scenarios with three paradigms: a goal that is as crazy as it is inspiring, a new ethic that overcomes our anthropocentrism, and an organizational form that is more successful, more efficient and more enduring than any state, alliance or any nation has ever been. Just imagine that the Earth is a spaceship, steered by an association made up of individuals, non-profit associations, companies and nations. The goal of this association would be the colonization of space and in reflex save the Earth. All members of the association would be committed to a new ethic, the “Terraism” – the preservation of the earth as a habitat worth living in for all current and future forms of life. Crazy? Perhaps. But definitely a beginning.

“Terraism – A New Concept to Save the Planet” is not an inventory of the problems of our time. The fact that humanity is moving towards its own demise with momentum is assumed to be as self-evident as the (further) development of gene-mutated humans and cyborgs. Before the plight of humanity becomes so great that existing structures are seriously questioned, the author suggests that a new goal and a new ethic – one that motivates change – should be adopted. 
It is necessary to remove man from the center of the universe, where religions, humanism and the Enlightenment have placed him. The author drafts an ethical concept that detaches from the human being and grants a right to life to all living beings on the planet. It takes man, as he currently exists, out of focus and includes animals and explicitly also future, possibly superior life forms. At the same time, the preservation of our planet Earth (lat. Terra) is placed at the center of the new ethics. Therefore, it is called “Terraism”.

With Terraism as an ethical companion, man should embrace the future and focus on chances and possibilities instead of dangers and limits. If we continue to focus primarily on disasters and misfortune, we will create a collective, self-fulfilling prophecy of our own demise. This is not about ignoring the suffering. The proposal is to set ourselves a positive goal, the implementation of which has the potential to act as a reflex to improve our lives and change our self-image. The argument is astonishingly convincing: the colonization of space as a goal can help to focus on a positive future, to preserve the planet and to integrate coming changes into a coherent world view. 

How can the whole of humanity be motivated to follow the concept of Terraism? What can we do today to ensure that the preservation of the planet is secured and that the settlement of space is established as a new, planetary goal? The solution is strikingly simple. Instead of a complicated (and probably never workable) world government, a simple non-profit association can pave the way. The author knows that this will not solve all problems. However, he demonstrates that the association he describes can provide a direction and bring about an amazing amount of change itself. As in an instruction for do-it-yourself the member structures, the organization, the work areas and modes of operation are explained. 

Reading the booklet will leave you wanting o start improving the world immediately. It helps to understand the forthcoming changes as a chance for the planet and manking.

The Book as a Blog

The Book is beeing published in 52 little parts at Utopiensammlerin.com – Visiones for a new World.

Here are the first three Publications:

  1. Prologue: What is the purpose of “Terraism – a New Concept to Save the Planet”? (1/52)
  2. Will Homo Sapiens Survive? (2/52)
  3. Looking ahead (3/52)

The Author - Ted Ganten

Ted Ganten was born in Canada in 1970. Schooldays in Heidelberg. Studied law in Augsburg. Even then he was already interested in understanding the society we live in. Professionally, he worked for Siemens AG and later for Siemens Healthineers in various functions as a lawyer and compliance officer. He is currently responsible for worldwide customs and export controls at Healthineers. He works and lives with his wife Katrin and their daughters Kiara and Olivia in Erlangen. In the meantime, he has understood that if you want to understand society, you have to start with yourself and include the human psyche.


Motivation

After five decades of love, partnerships, kids, family, weird hobbies, career, and a really colorful life, it’s time to put some of my ideas on paper. I wouldn’t have learned anything if I hadn’t humbly and sincerely put it forward with the serious interest to continue learning.
The book “Terraism” is the first, of a series of utopian ideas that will manifested themselves in file format.

Why? Because we have lost sight of great human dreams. Because cyborgs, transgenic and other creatures that are physically and intellectually superior to us are not pure science fiction, but in part already reality today. It is high time to think ahead.

Contact & Comments

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Dr. Ted Ganten

Mail: ganten@web.de