Harari and Zizek talk about the human – nature relationship. A note from the Video “In a lively discussion between Slavoj Žižek and Yuval Noah Harari, the two thinkers debate extremist ideology, our role in nature, the notions of good and evil, and catastrophes of the past. The conversation is moderated by Günes Taylor, and was filmed on June 2, 2022 as part of the How The Light GetsIn Festival.”
Mrs Taylor, the moderator, began by asking the two if we have to trust nature less and rely on our instincts or vice versa. Neither speaker responded to the question directly. The correct response is humans should intervene in natural processes in ways that enhance humans’ adaptation to nature, i.e., understand the natural process and any potential harm/benefit to society and intervene to minimize harm/maximize the benefits without destabilising the natural process. For example, the transformation of society from the barbarian tribal society to civilization was natural. That transformation changed tribal way of life and created new economic and social order. The new society did not have legal system that serves the new economic activities such as contract laws and did not provide legal cover to the new social groups that came from different tribes in search of economic opportunities. So, as the Athenians, did in the 600 BCE, politicians need to take what is still functional from the tribal constitutions and develop new articles and come up with new civil law that helps the new society thrive.