-- *Mar**Wrenching from nature-the dissection of the Holistic by the Cartesian*
*Howard Zinn, one of the greatest contemporary Historians, who expired recently, wrote his book---A People’s History of the United States-from the point of view of people who suffered because of the events of History. The book is acclaimed as the greatest piece of research. He starts with the following passage, describing the arrival of Columbus in 1492, when he landed on a small island in the Bahamas:* *“Arawak men and women, naked, tawny, and full of wonder, emerged from their villages onto the island’s beaches and swam out to get a closer look at the strange boat. When Columbus and his sailors came ashore, carrying swords, speaking oddly, the Arawaks ran to greet them, brought them food, water, gifts. He later wrote on his log:”* *“They...brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawk’s bells. They willingly traded everything they owned...They were well built, with good bodies and handsome features...They do not bear arms, AND DO NOT KNOW THEM, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane...They would make fine servants...With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”* *Those Arawaks of the Bahamas islands were much like the Indians on the mainland, who were remarkable for their hospitality, thrilled and wonder filled curiosity, with the automatic habit of sharing and giving without an iota of fear or suspicion. Theirs was Holistic life, a life of feeling as nature, in nature participating with the flora and fauna. * *THE FRENZIED MONEY MAKING CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WEST CARRIED OUT NOT ONE BUT MANY GENOCIDES TILL THEIR NUMBER DWINDLED TO ONE OR TWO PER CENT IN WHOLE OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAS.* *The westerners accustomed to treating women as the incarnations of sin were startled at the blissfully equal or love status of women among the Indians.Afterall many a Christian preacher in the west, called women as bags of manure. Las Casas described their sex relations as follows:* *“Marriage laws are nonexistent: men and women choose their mates and leave them as they please, without offense, jealousy or anger. They multiply in great abundance: pregnant women work to the last minute and give birth almost painlessly; up the next day, they bathe in the river and ARE AS CLEAN AND HEALTHY AS BEFORE GIVING BIRTH. If they tire of their men, they give themselves abortions with herbs that force stillbirths, covering their shameful parts (shameful according to this preacher) with leaves or cotton cloth; although on the whole, Indian men and women look upon total nakedness with as much casualness as we look upon a man’s head or at his hands.”* *For those Arawaks life and happiness were synonyms. The idea of dissecting and analysing to death never occurred to them. They allowed nature to prosper and nature gave them everything. For them the very basic paradigmatic concept of understanding was the spontaneous smile. They connected phenomena to the thrills of happiness and that was the experience of understanding to them. They lived in positive understanding; spontaneous conceptualizations that do not need the arrest of natural conceptualization to drill the brain with math formulae, or meaningless theories.* *There are many among us, who are curious to guess as to what will happen after death. I do hope to go to a place where happiness and living are synonyms where I do not need Degrees to impress, where I am free from the ailment of analysis.* *YM Sarma* *Chat GPT* *YM Sarma’s essay **"Wrenching from Nature—The Dissection of the Holistic by the Cartesian"** is a reflection on how Western civilization, particularly during and after the era of exploration and conquest, disconnected itself from nature and embraced **Cartesian dualism**. Sarma contrasts the **holistic, nature-integrated life** of indigenous peoples, such as the Arawaks described by Columbus, with the **analytical, dissecting worldview** of Western colonizers, influenced by thinkers like **René Descartes**.* *### Key Themes in Sarma's Essay:* *1. **Holistic vs. Analytical Life**:* * The essay opens with an evocative account from **Howard Zinn’s** *A People’s History of the United States*, where Columbus first encounters the Arawaks in the Bahamas. Sarma highlights the Arawaks’ harmonious, communal, and natural lifestyle—living as part of nature, with no concept of **private property** or the need for violence. This stands in stark contrast to the European mindset, which saw them as ripe for **exploitation**.* * Sarma suggests that the Arawaks lived with a **holistic paradigm**, in which life, happiness, and nature were inseparable. Their understanding of the world was rooted in **emotions, relationships, and spontaneous joy**, rather than the **Cartesian reductionism** that came to dominate Western thought. In this view, life is not something to be **dissected or analyzed**, but something to be experienced fully in **connection with nature**.* *2. **Western Civilization and Genocide**:* * Sarma goes on to discuss the **genocidal consequences** of Western expansion, noting that indigenous populations across the Americas were decimated by European colonization, their numbers reduced to mere fractions of their original populations. This tragic destruction of **indigenous cultures** is portrayed as a result of the Western obsession with **control, exploitation, and the accumulation of wealth**—all hallmarks of a worldview that separates humans from nature.* *3. **Women and Equality in Indigenous Cultures**:* * Another significant contrast Sarma draws is in the **treatment of women**. He mentions how Christian preachers in Europe often viewed women as sinful or inferior, while indigenous peoples treated women with **equality and reverence**. Sarma cites the writings of **Las Casas**, who described the **sexual freedom and equality** in indigenous societies, as well as the **natural, untroubled relationship** between men and women, untethered from the strictures and shame imposed by Western religious dogma.* *4. **Cartesian Dissection and the Loss of Wholeness**:* * Sarma blames **Cartesian thinking** for the **dissection of the holistic**. **René Descartes’** famous statement, “Cogito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am), marked a profound shift in Western thought. This **separation of mind and body**, and the reduction of the natural world into **mechanical parts**, led to an **analytical worldview** that seeks to understand by dissecting, categorizing, and controlling. In Sarma’s view, this Cartesian dissection has led to a profound **alienation from nature** and a loss of the **holistic, emotional connection** that indigenous cultures maintained.* *5. **The Desire for Holistic Understanding**:* * The essay concludes with Sarma expressing a desire to return to a state of **holistic understanding**, free from the pressures of **degrees, academic analysis, and the mechanical dissection of life**. He hopes for a place where **life and happiness are synonymous**, where **nature is allowed to prosper**, and where human beings can once again be fully integrated into the **web of life**.* *### Conclusion:* *YM Sarma’s critique is a powerful reminder of the **consequences of Western expansion**, both in terms of the physical destruction of indigenous cultures and the **philosophical shift** that took humans away from their natural, holistic roots. The essay echoes themes of **ecological degradation**, the **alienation caused by modern science**, and the **importance of returning to a more nature-centered** worldview—one that values **emotions, community, and the spontaneous joys of life** over the **mechanical, Cartesian approach** that has dominated for centuries. Sarma’s work thus calls for a **reconciliation** of the holistic with the analytical, urging us to find a way back to a more balanced and **harmonious existence with nature**.* -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHCLkOPWe9rG-3D0y_oER6c1LHOp-xd8irP_JhB6jhnab%2BQ%40mail.gmail.com.
