Cornucopianism
is the
belief that physical resources are ultimately less important
than the resources of the mind.
Every
person has value to mankind and
there is no way of knowing who's unique experiences will solve the
problems of our age. Serendipity will often put people with novel
viewpoints in just the right situation. Especially in times of
stress, when conventional solutions fail and desperation drives
people to take chances, these flights of creativity lead to
breakthroughs.
The philosophy takes its name from the
Cornucopia; a Greek horn of
plenty. It's a pretty symbol (and most recognized in the US for its use
in Thanksgiving decorations). In Greek
mythology, Zeus once gave a blessed goat's horn as a gift. It had the
power to
give the person in possession of it
whatever he or she wished for. The Roman goddess Fortuna was later
associated with the
cornucopia.
The philosophy of Cornucopianism arose in
contrast to the gloom-and-doom principles of
Rev. Thomas R. Malthus. He studied both population growth and crop
yields in the 19th century. After reflection, he published the opinion
that "difficulty... must necssarily be severely felt by a large portion
of mankind." In effect, reproduction will always push human beings to
consume more than nature replenishes, and shortages of food, water, and
other materials will constantly result.
I choose to believe that the future will always bear
improvement. And,
with that in mind, here's a small
plan on how
to do that...
And here's a link to pages that I suggest
checking out.
