Includes bibliographical references (pages 145-148) and index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"This book seeks to answer two fundamental questions: Why do we keep destroying nature when science makes it clear that in doing so we risk our own destruction? How can we stop doing so and regain the unity of humans and nature? First, the book shows that the inability of modern society to modify its relationship with nature has its roots in the collective fictions that have gradually shaped it since the Neolithic revolution. The collective fictions that underpin modernity include, in particular, the subject-object duality, the matter-mind duality, the primacy of rationality, and the superiority of the human species over all other living beings. These deeply ingrained fictions prevent us from acting in the word in agreement with the needs and knowledge that we have. Second, the book argues that humans have a nature that defines them as a unique species beyond their cultural differences, and this nature is not made only of flesh and bones, but also of a set of fundamental needs. Fundamental needs connect humans with nature spontaneously because they are the manifestation of life in them. They also make it possible to re-establish the unity of body and mind and of the different forms of knowledge and to give the economy a new direction, focused on the development of the human being and of its living environment. Challenging our collective fictions and reconnecting with our deepest nature is essential if we are to overcome the current ecological crisis and allow life on Earth to flourish"-- Provided by publisher.