A conversation with guest William Rosenzweig emphasizes the ethics of care in the private and public spheres. The speaker discusses the concept of being a constant gardener, explores the post-lasp Syrian ethic and a surprising encounter in the tool shed, reflects on the power of gardening and mentorship, delves into the historical significance of coffee houses and its relation to gardenism, and highlights the negative consequences of prioritizing profits in business and disregarding stakeholders.
Gardenism extends the ethics of care to social, political, and economic domains, promoting virtues like generosity and patience.
Gardening, whether in literal gardens or other domains, teaches patience, mentorship, and the value of connecting with non-human living things.
Deep dives
The Ethos of Gardenism
Gardenism is an ethos that extends the ethics of care found in gardening to social, political, and economic domains. It embraces the virtues of generosity, patience, hope, and gratitude. It recognizes the inherent potential in everything and seeks to support and encourage that potential to flourish. Gardenism values connections, recognizing the deep interconnectivity of all living beings and the importance of tending to the well-being of the world we inhabit.
Gardening as a Constant and Transformative Act
Gardening is more than just cultivating plants; it is a constant and transformative act. Like a true gardener, one must have an internal animating energy that calls them to show up and be present in cultivating life. Whether in a literal garden or in other domains like business and education, gardening involves working with living systems, recognizing their potential, and nurturing their growth. Through gardening, one learns patience, the power of mentorship, and the value of connecting with non-human living things.
The Beauty and Care in Japanese Gardens
Japanese gardens offer a profound aesthetic that combines beauty, simplicity, and stillness. They convey an ethos of care and a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things. Japanese gardens recognize that even rocks hold a vibrational aliveness and must be planted in the ground, connecting with the earth. They reflect the intention to make things better, infusing growth and encouraging emergence. The Japanese aesthetic of gardening shows the value of recognizing patterns, cultivating present-moment awareness, and appreciating the temporal beauty of the living system.
Gardenism in Business and Education
Bringing the principles of gardenism into the domains of business and education can shape a more holistic and purpose-driven approach. Business can be a vehicle for good, considering not just financial value, but also societal and environmental values. Education, viewed as a form of gardening, cultivates virtues such as friendship, gratitude, and hope. By aligning actions with values and recognizing the interconnectedness and interdependence of all stakeholders, businesses and educational institutions can contribute to the flourishing of people, communities, and the planet.
A conversation with gardener, social entrepreneur, and venture investor William Rosenzweig about the ethics of care in the private and public spheres. Songs in this episode: “Bourée” by Jethro Tull and “A Lotus On Irish Streams” by Mahavishnu Orchestra.
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