FROM AN ENVIRONMENTALIST TO A PANGEIST

«Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it», said Michelangelo when he finished Moses. Sometimes, in order to approach the root of the issue, it is useful to follow an elimination process: I’m not really sure of who I am or where I’m going, but I know for sure who I’m not and where I don’t want to go. For that purpose, I don’t wish wars, I don’t wish the extinction of other species because of our fault, I don’t wish inequalities and poverty, I don’t wish corruption and I don’t wish a lot of other things. On the contrary, I wish peace, I wish extremely healthy ecosystems, I wish equal opportunities, I wish politicians and business people working daily with honour and ethics towards common good, and I wish a lot more.

I say «wish» but not «want», on purpose, because «to want»[1] means to want something ephemeral, and «to wish» means to want something continuously. Then, all of this and more is what I wish and what I don’t wish. So, «what can I call this?»

When they ask me who I am, what I do for a living, which my philosophy, ideal or religion is, how do I answer? How do I introduce myself? How would I describe myself in one, two or three words? When I say «Hi! I’m Máximo Mazzocco, environmentalist», don’t I feel weird and incomplete? Because I’m not just that. How can I tell somebody that my individual and collective goal is to get closer to «what I wish» and move away from «what I don’t wish»?

The other day, I was answering an email and I took the risk and wrote: «Hi! I’m Máximo Mazzocco, environmentalist, pacifist, humanist, minimalist, naturalist, altruist, conservationist and democrat;[2] a person that aims for a better world, who supports and protects the biosphere (biodiversalist – biospherist) and tries to restore ecosystems and regenerate bonds between human beings and nature (regenerativist), who thinks globally and acts locally (glocalist) and searches for sustainability (sustainabilist); an advocate of the ecological transition (transitionist), pluralism (pluralist), interdependence (interdependentist), biocracy (biocracist), and the ecofeminist movement; moreover, a follower of theosophy[3] and anthroposophy in addition to all the terms[4] that I can create or state that mean “acting on behalf of the common good”. Also, I work daily in order to get to know myself (with everything it entails) and towards a better understanding of the SDGs or the ‘buen vivir’ goals (an indigenous people’s concept) or similar. Nice to meet you!»

Of course, I didn’t get an answer. They may have thought «He’s nuts», but it was worth the risk. So, what is the term that summarizes and includes these concepts-definitions and identifies me as a searcher for common good, the unknown, sustainability and that also allows me to define myself without limits?

In a nutshell, pangeism is the search for collective sustainability and our best version. It is out there for every nut that wants to freely use their subjectivity and play around with reality. In conclusion, I introduce myself again:[5]

Hi! How are you? I’m Máximo Mazzocco, earthman, human being, pangeist[6] and environmentalist.[7]

Extract from the book “Apuntes de un Ambientalista: hacia una filosofía para la sostenibilidad” by Máximo Mazzocco.

[1] The term “wish” refers to the animal, instinctive desire of the combination of the physical and emotional bodies (or “inferior bodies” according to the Septenary principle of Theosophy).
[2] Democrat: a person who believes in democracy (not a member or supporter of the US Democratic Party).
[3] According to my point of view, in their origins, almost every religion «talked about the same thing with different words», then they were polluted with time concepts and human stupidity that led them to commit atrocities. Almost every religion implicitly or directly aims for global fraternity (moreover, in the end, they are amazing vehicles of consciousness).
[4] In order to avoid confusion, I let you know that if you believe that when you die there is nothing left (and you become part of the nothingness) you can also be a follower of pangeism as long as you share the aforementioned goals.
[5] Why do we say «pangeist» first and then «the rest»? Because first of all we begin with our common ground, the similarities, our individual and collective aims and then we mention our differences.
[6] Yes! I declare myself a pangeist! That means I get involved in and aim for a better world. I have 30 collective goals and 7 individual ones and I intend to achieve them. Naturally, I can make mistakes a million times along the way (or I can be a hypocrite) because I am a human being. But at least I know for sure where I’m going: I have a minimum common good guideline which is not against any religion, it completely agrees with the global common agenda and it is easy to explain.
[7] Taking into account that I never felt in love with any religion, political party or specific school of thought, I may say that all in all I only know that I am a pangeist because this philosophy invites me to include and use the best things of the other ones without obstacles, barriers or duties.