The Main Structures in Planetary Thought

With these expectations in mind it is relatively easy to identify the distinct parts of Gaia’s emergent brain. The most ancient continuing system of organised coherent thoughts are those of the Han Chinese. These are deeply rooted.

These thoughts are reflected in both major philosophies of the region Taoism and Confucianism. It is strongly conservative and communal. It accepts that the “Way” (Tao) of the universe simply is. It understands that stability comes from the acceptance of this, the suppression of self-interest and the acting out of ones duty, to siblings, parents, family, community and state.

In the West a more chaotic form has evolved. Its origins are equally ancient but not so coherent in form but equally so in process. They come from the free thinking analytically rationality that epitomised ancient Greece. These thoughts are fragmented and incoherent in the sense that they are not based on a persistent vision of proper form but a continuing dialogue between thesis and antithesis from which emerges a view dominant for a time but never forming a final truth.

In the Western system such diverse thoughts are maintained by groups which are often international and intercultural. The most ancient holder of these still evident being the Catholic Church. Of course in modern times maintained alongside its worldview are those of the protestant reformation.

There are also great commercial enterprises that span the planet or parts of it and sustain a system of thought, culture, pertinent to their purpose, Unilever or Shell.. More recently there has arisen a number of viable organisations with moralistic purposes such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, the World Wild Life Fund.

These respectively project a view of proper human behaviour, the acceptability of an imprisonment and the treatment of prisoners, the care of the environment and the protection of species. Such organisations could be viewed as the developing embryonic conscience for the planet.

Nation states in the interests of their citizens, or their own power, project a particular worldview and win others over to it by propaganda, diplomatic missions etc. Free Trade is one such idea. This has been heavily advocated by such means and led to states acting together to set up the World Trade Organisation to advocate and effect it.

All the above can be seen as thought patterns in the evolving mind of the planet. To qualify they just have to interconnect human beings together to a common purpose and generate the resources to support them in pursuing it. However disparate fragments of thought do not constitute a brain.