Will The Venus Project ever change direction?

This is a question about means versus ends, tactics and strategy verses vision and aims. Means and ends are often confused. Likewise, it would be easy to confuse The Venus Project's path vs its direction. We may consult a compass to take many paths, but all paths can lead North. The direction of The Venus Project is defined by a set of values that promote the health of life for as much of Earth as possible. These are the ends. The concept of a Resource Based Economy, or other concepts such as Circular Economy or Steady State Economy, are the means to this end. It would be ideal to express these values at the global scale, however, practicality may dictate the expression of these values at a smaller scale for the time being. Likewise, changes in methods, tactics, technology, opportunities, risks, constraints, and emerging facts may alter the The Venus Project's path at any given time. Equifinality is a law of complex systems and entails that multiple paths can lead to the same outcome. This implies that the means may change while the ends do not. In practice, The Venus Project is expected to be an evolving system consisting of innumerable contributors. There is no way to guarantee control over where they will take the development as the system scales.

Read more FAQs: https://www.thevenusproject.com/learn/faq/

From our recommended reading list: "Philosophy in the Flesh: the Embodied Mind & Its Challenge to Western Thought" by George Lakoff

This book argues that the human 'mind' is inherently embodied, meaning that our thoughts and concepts are shaped by our physical experiences and interactions with the world. It further contends that much of our thinking is unconscious and that abstract concepts are largely metaphorical. The book examines how these principles challenge traditional philosophical assumptions about reason, knowledge, and the nature of the mind. It demonstrates how the 'mind' is not a supernatural phenomenon or shaped by metaphysical sources but rather by the physical world.

See more from our recommended book list: https://www.thevenusproject.com/learn/recommended-books-films-and-videos/

George Lakoff on the embodiedness of our thought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpq5RQfSYaA

Is The Venus Project a cult or religion?

This is a question about dysfunctional group dynamics. Any community develops a culture with a set of norms and conformities. In its healthy form, it is undeserving of the derogatory label 'cult'. The Venus Project has been subject to the typical dynamics of an institution founded by a naturally charismatic leader, in our case, Jacque Fresco. The key to avoiding dysfunctional dynamics is to invest in facilitating a guided evolution of the ideas rather than a static doctrine or rigid ideology. Nonetheless, a set of core values persist and give The Venus Project its solemn purpose. Devotion to protecting these values and maintaining a belief in a redeemed future can, at times, seem reminiscent of the conviction or faith of religion. While there may be shared traits, fixation on a doctrine inflexible to evolution is typically what characterizes religion most of all. The Venus Project undertakes by design a deliberate effort to avoid this outcome.

In the absence of formal religion, it could be said that The Venus Project provides an expression of 'spirituality' for people who are otherwise secular. This is owed to a sense of purpose, meaning, and hope that people derive from The Venus Project's aspirations and work. Given these traits, it would not be entirely inaccurate to say that The Venus Project offers what might seem paradoxical: a secular religion. If we are to have faith, perhaps faith in the future is the sanest and most pragmatic form of faith that can exist and has the chance of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy if we work hard at shaping the present world. Perhaps answering this question requires redefining what we think religion is or what it can be.

Read more FAQs: https://www.thevenusproject.com/learn/faq/

From our recommended reading list: "The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World" by Iain McGilchrist

This book by Iain McGilchrist makes the controversial argument that there does in fact exist a significant difference between left hemisphere and right hemisphere brain cognition. McGilchrist argues that the unbalanced predominance of the left hemisphere is responsible for much of humanity's dysfunction at multiple scales. Read if you want to better understand the most fundamental dichotomy either unknown or misunderstood by much of humanity.

See more from our recommended book list: https://www.thevenusproject.com/learn/recommended-books-films-and-videos/

From our recommended reading list: "Ways of Attending: How our Divided Brain Constructs the World" by Iain McGilchrist

In this book, McGilchrist explores how different ways of paying attention shape our perception and experience of the world. He emphasizes the contrasting functions of the brain’s hemispheres: the right hemisphere takes in the world as a whole, alive and interconnected, while the left abstracts and dissects it into parts. McGilchrist warns that modern society increasingly favors the left hemisphere’s narrow, utilitarian focus, which limits our ability to engage with reality fully and meaningfully.

See more from our recommended book list: https://www.thevenusproject.com/learn/recommended-books-films-and-videos/

For a website about Jacque Fresco's life, ideas, and work, what information, features, or functions would you want included? Submit your idea:

https://thevenusproject.typeform.com/to/v9dxWiob

Will The Venus Project evolve?

The question concerning The Venus Project's evolution has proven to be a controversial one. Many believe they know best what Jacque Fresco would have wanted based on his online introductory lectures. Unbeknownst to these scholars of Fresco's work is that they disagree with each other. If, when put into a room to dialogue, many would quickly find that they disagree with how The Venus Project should proceed, and in some cases, what it must proceed toward. Some argue that TVP should accept the fact of market dynamics and adapt accordingly, use the tools of this system such as money or cryptocurrency and marketing and business practices to get the job done. Others say this is selling out. Some say that TVP should not deviate from Jacque Fresco's exact formula, while others say TVP desperately needs to update. Meanwhile, some worry that such an update is a trojan horse for hijacking the brand. Some think we should "build the city already" while others think we are not ready and need to "spread more awareness". Each perspective believes it is correct and expects The Venus Project leadership to satisfy all opposite points of view simultaneously. These tensions force the system toward managing the evolution as a technical process to minimize arbitrariness and justify decisions and avoid the pitfalls of so many ideologies in history in which blind conflict and splintering is the norm. This process is currently underway. It is difficult to answer this question about evolution when those who ask the question do not really know what they are asking for.

Read more FAQs: https://www.thevenusproject.com/learn/faq/

For those of you following the Masterminding Eden event, be aware of the recent update.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/masterminding-eden_masterminding-eden-activity-7315146741601734657-5J3x

Iain McGilchrist introduces his latest book, The Matter With Things.

https://youtu.be/XR6X4EIf1Ig

From our recommended reading list: "The Matter With Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World" by Iain McGilchrist

In this book, McGilchrist argues that the modern world is increasingly dominated by left-hemisphere thinking—mechanistic, abstract, and reductionist—at the expense of the holistic, contextual, and intuitive insights of the right hemisphere. Drawing on neuroscience, philosophy, and physics, McGilchrist contends that this imbalance distorts our understanding of reality, truth, and meaning. He proposes a reintegration of both hemispheres’ perspectives to reconnect with the fuller richness of the world and restore a more harmonious way of being.

See more from our recommended book list: https://www.thevenusproject.com/learn/recommended-books-films-and-videos/

Try to think of as many core concepts, terms, or phrases that are unique to Jacque Fresco. What principles, maxims, quotes, or claims do you believe are most important in his work? What topics or themes does he most emphasize? What do you think are the major focus areas? Try to number your response as a list.

https://thevenusproject.typeform.com/to/Wumr9tLl

Is The Venus Project trying to save the world?

While some would have us think that we are lucky to be graced by those with messianic destinies, The Venus Project encourages a more humble and practical attitude. The Venus Project is an assemblage of individuals seeking the fulfillment of their higher needs, which includes needs for community, creative expression, intellectual challenge, meaning in life, and a higher purpose. In these activities, we cannot know for certain if we will leave the world better than we found it, whether we will make it better or worse. As the saying goes, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" and we can expect this outcome more likely when the travelers are blindly self-righteous. In other words, we cannot know if our actions will 'save the world'. However, what we can know is where the evidence leads. The Venus Project has amassed a body of evidence that culminates into a hypothesis in the form of a system design. If there is a chance to 'save the world', it does not begin first with the assumption that we are saving the world, for it may blind us to when we are not. Instead, the best we can do is promote a hypothesis worth testing, subject to revision based on results. In the meantime, we act with love, enjoy the process, and fear adding more suffering to the world.

Read more FAQs: https://www.thevenusproject.com/learn/faq/