Summary of Enrique Dussel - Buen Vivir

00:00:00 - 00:40:00

Enrique Dussel discusses the concept of "buen vivir" or the good life, which he believes is a fundamental part of any culture. He compares the way indigenous cultures live to modern, urban lifestyles, and points out that, in order to maintain a good life, they must constantly destroy matter – something that indigenous people are very familiar with, as they rely on their natural resources to survive. He says that, in indigenous cultures, the sun is considered a deity, and that its energy is the source of life and strength for the community. He concludes the video by discussing the importance of living a meaningful and engaging life, and the relevance of indigenous cultures to modern Westerners.

• 00:00:00 In this video, Enrique Dussel discusses the concept of "buen vivir" or the good life, which he believes is a fundamental part of any culture. He compares the way indigenous cultures live to modern, urban lifestyles, and points out that, in order to maintain a good life, they must constantly destroy matter – something that indigenous people are very familiar with, as they rely on their natural resources to survive. He says that, in indigenous cultures, the sun is considered a deity, and that its energy is the source of life and strength for the community. He concludes the video by discussing the importance of living a meaningful and engaging life, and the relevance of indigenous cultures to modern Westerners.
• 00:05:00 This video discusses the idea that human beings will soon become largely urbanized due to the fact that by the year 2030, 90% of the world's population will live in cities of over 3000 inhabitants. This change is said to be a result of the Neolithic Revolution, which occurred 10,000 years ago. Prior to this, most humans lived in rural communities, farming or herding. However, in just a few decades, we will transition into a new type of human being - an urbanite - who lives in cityscapes devoid of any natural or cultural context. This type of life is completely different from the traditional human existence which predated it. For example, in the Middle Ages, people lived in cities because they were able to escape from the Islamic world. This process of development is now being repeated in Europe, with the rise of the world's new centers of civilization. The modern world - characterized by industrialization and the spread of democracy - began in the 1492 AD, when the Spanish and Portuguese were able to escape from Muslim rule. This video discusses the ideas of some of the most significant thinkers of the modern era, such as Bacon, Kepler, and Newton, and their ideas about the Individual life and its relationship to society and nature. This
• 00:10:00 In this video, Enrique Dussel discusses the concept of "buen vivir." He notes that this concept is different from the modern idea of "life good." He argues that this idea is more rooted in a sense of objectivity and reality beyond our own individual experience. He goes on to explain that the modern world is facing a serious challenge due to its emphasis on individualism and quantification over understanding and connection to nature. He shares the story of Newton, Galileo, and Kepler, all of whom helped shape the modern view of the universe. Finally, he points out that the indigenous perspective on "life good" provides an alternative perspective on the world that is often overlooked.
• 00:15:00 In this video, Enrique Dussel discusses the importance of indigenous people not just for the lack of technological progress they have made, but also for their lack of material status. He points out that this is an issue for indigenous people because they are not able to produce airplanes, and still walk or ride on horses slowly or on an ox like they did thousands of years ago. What is important to consider, however, is the totality of indigenous life, and the understanding of these phenomena which is what prevents indigenous people from separating from nature and starting to codify their ivs. This is the topic of his talk, which is about a civilization: the indigenous people's. He explains that it is possible to have a life based on nature, alongside the human life as a survival mechanism. We began to realize the limits of our planet when we began to understand the effects of technology on the small planet we live on, and the negative effects it had on our environment. We started to realize the limits of our own species when we realized that our planet was capable of only holding a certain amount of people, and that our oceans could only absorb a certain amount of waste. We began to realize that all of our technology and progress was built on a false assumption: that the earth
• 00:20:00 In this video, Enrique Dussel discusses how the modern way of life, with its high levels of technology and pollution, is putting the Earth's ability to support life at risk. He also talks about how the principle of autopoiesis, or self-creation, is essential for life to survive and urges humans to return to a more sustainable way of life.
• 00:25:00 This video discusses the negative effects of modernity on the environment, and how traditional, simple lifestyles are becoming increasingly rare. The video discusses the negative effects of modernity on the environment, and how traditional, simple lifestyles are becoming increasingly rare.
• 00:30:00 In this video, Enrique Dussel discusses the function of capital. He points out that capital must produce more cheaply in order to survive, and that it cannot last for too long before becoming obsolete. He goes on to say that capitalist economies cannot sustain high rates of profit for long, and that in order to improve technology, capital must rapidly improve its own technological capabilities. Dussel believes that this will come about only if the capitalists are forced to reinvest their profits, which they are not doing currently because they are not making any money. This will ultimately result in the destruction of private property, and the dominance of life determined by energy and material consumption at the lowest levels. Dussel argues that the goal of contemporary civilization should be to return to a more primitive, simpler way of life, and that this can be accomplished by changing the project of modernity. He believes that this will require enormous sacrifices on the part of humanity, and that we need to start thinking about a new civilization, one that is not capitalist or socialist, but rather that is based on technology and ecology.
• 00:35:00 Enrique Dussel discusses the idea of a "limit" to modernity, which is when we see how large glaciers can form in the south pole and how big countries can be reduced to small pieces or even hundreds of kilometers squared. He explains that this is the end of modernity, but the end of humanity if we don't change the project. If we don't have another project for good living, like the indigenous have, then the indigenous person becomes a human example of non-destructive nature, and restoring a relationship not just of going on vacation and coming back to nature, but of changing everything about our way of life. This would require a radical change at all levels of humanity, including a shift to a more communal and participatory way of life where men and women are treated equally, and where we understand and consume food more rationally. This would be known as the "transmodern" era, and would be followed by an even newer era, the "postmodern" era. Humanity would be living in a totally new world, one that Dussel calls the "transmodern era."
• 00:40:00 The video discusses the importance of living a good life, and how the indigenous people of the world provide an example of how to do this. The video then goes on to discuss how the indigenous people of the world live a simpler, more fulfilling life, with less stress and more time for enjoyment. This may be difficult to emulate, but it is an example to follow nonetheless.