The Interconnected Universe

As human societies grapple with a future marked by ecological disaster, climate change is often conceived as a technological, economic, or political problem with a corresponding solution. In this first-of-its-kind book, Muhammad Faruque reframes the crisis as not simply a problem to be solved but rather a profound crisis of meaning, value, and human self-understanding. Drawing on a vast range of philosophical, environmental, and climate science discourses, as well as postgrowth economic theories, Faruque develops a theory of the “interconnected universe,” a new way of understanding the relationship between human beings, the climate, and the more-than-human world. Much of modern life as we know it is characterized by the ubiquitous presence of carbon footprints, an ideology of endless growth, and a fragmented sense of reality. In light of increasing environmental crises, however, we are now forced to reimagine what it means to be modern. As Faruque argues, it is precisely here that Sufi philosophy and practice foster a holistic view of the universe rooted in an “anthropocosmic” vision of the self, which emphasizes organismic unity and cosmic harmony. The Interconnected Universe thus provides a comprehensive reorientation of how we understand the climate crisis, and shows us how that can translate into meaningful ecological living.