Summary
Jeremy Lent, described by Guardian journalist George Monbiot as “one of the greatest thinkers of our age,” is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. His award-winning book, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, examines the way humans have made meaning from the cosmos from hunter-gatherer times to the present day.
More recently, his award-winning The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe, offers a solid foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a sustainable, flourishing future. He is the founder of the Deep Transformation Network, a global community exploring pathways to an ecological civilization, and the nonprofit Liology Institute dedicated to fostering an integrated worldview that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on the Earth. He writes topical articles exploring the deeper patterns of political and cultural developments at Patterns of Meaning. Author website: jeremylent.com
Detailed Biography
Born in London, England, Lent received a B.A. in English Literature from Cambridge University. He left England to travel in Guatemala and Mexico, and settled in the United States, where he earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and embarked on a career in business. In 1996, he founded NextCard, a pioneering internet credit card company. As chairman and CEO, he took the company public in 1999 with a peak valuation of two billion dollars.
Beginning in 2005, Lent began an inquiry into the various constructions of meaning formed by cultures around the world. His award-winning novel, Requiem of the Human Soul, published in 2009, was the first expression of this investigation. Set in a 22nd century world dominated by genetically enhanced humans, it raised deep questions about the nature of humanity, and explored troubling ethical issues about the direction our civilization is taking.
In 2017, Lent published The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, (Prometheus Books | Foreword by Fritjof Capra) to widespread acclaim. The book offers a cognitive history of humanity, tracing how different cultures patterned meaning into the universe and how that has affected history. It has been described by biologist Paul Ehrlich as a “tour de force on the biological and psychological background of the human predicament.” Guardian columnist, George Monbiot, has described it as “the most profound and far-reaching book I’ve ever read.” The book received a Silver Award from Nautilus Book Awards in the Social Sciences & Education category.
In 2021, Lent published The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe, which was awarded two Nautilus Book Awards: a Gold Award for World Cultures Transformational Growth & Development, and a Silver Award for Science & Cosmology. The book received acclaim from many transformational thought leaders including Fritjof Capra, Bill McKibben, Gabor Maté, John B. Cobb, Jr., Douglas Rushkoff, Dan Siegel, David Korten, Riane Eisler, Frans de Waal, Tyson Yunkaporta, and Satish Kumar who described it as “a magnificent manifesto for a regenerative culture and for an ecological civilization.”
Lent has recently become known for proposing the idea of a life-affirming Ecological Civilization offering a beneficial potential future of human flourishing on a regenerated Earth. He has written numerous articles and book chapters and frequently gives public talks on the topic.
In 2012, Lent founded the nonprofit Liology Institute with the mission of fostering a worldview that is both scientifically rigorous and intrinsically meaningful.
In 2022, Lent founded the Deep Transformation Network, an online global community of people who recognize that our civilization is in existential crisis—and who want to engage with others in facilitating a deep transformation toward a life-affirming future on a regenerated Earth. It has since grown to over 3,000 members, and in addition to online conversations, holds regular live meetings on topics related to deep societal transformation.
Further Information
Author website: https://www.jeremylent.com/
Deep Transformation Network: https://deeptransformation.network/list
Liology website: http://www.liology.org/
Patterns of Meaning blog: https://patternsofmeaning.com/
YouTube Channel Playlists: Interviews and Talks | Interactive Conversations | Ecological Civilization | The Web of Meaning | Liology | The Patterning Instinct
Selected Articles
What Does an Ecological Civilization Look Like?
To Counter AI Risk, We Must Develop an Integrated Intelligence
Solving the Climate Crisis Requires the End of Capitalism
How Corporate Dominance Is Driving Civilization to a Precipice
The Five Real Conspiracies You Need to Know About
Steven Pinker’s Ideas About Progress Are Fatally Flawed. These Eight Graphs Show Why.
Yuval Harari: Please Recognize Your Own Unacknowledged Fictions
Five Ways to Curb the Power of Corporations and Billionaires
As Society Unravels, the Future Is Up for Grabs
AI Has Already Taken Over. It’s Called the Corporation
Our Values Will Decide Our Destiny
What Will You Say to Your Grandchildren?
Editor: Maggie
Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776
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