Amid life's unpredictability, I found myself facing an unexpected and devastating loss of employment within my profession. This blow, coupled with the recent purchase of a new home that can take care of our ageing parents and significant investments in a post-COVID career approach for both my wife and myself, shocked me to the core. The security I once had to provide for my family evaporated almost overnight, plunging us into financial and emotional uncertainty.
As I was, and still am, grappling with this new reality, the feeling of losing agency over my life was overwhelming – and this book was my very first overly rationalised response. I was no longer the provider or the professional I had always been. This intense personal experience of lost agency immediately mirrored the broader human condition during the COVID-19 pandemic, where industries crumbled, and countless lives were disrupted. I did not have any right to only think about my devastation, even if it remains overwhelming. It was only after I wrote this book that I had time to reflect on my loss.
It was during this period of introspection and struggle that "The Science of Agency" began to take shape. This book emerged from a place of deep personal reflection and a profound sense of solidarity with humanity's collective loss of agency. The pandemic had stripped away our illusions of control – and I faced the universal abyss together with all God’s creatures - revealing the fragility of our societal and personal constructs.
"The Science of Agency" is not a narrative, it is an analysis in a systematic format that only an engineer, a scientist with the heart of a philosopher can generate; it is a call to reclaim our humanity in the face of large-scale upheavals, whether personal or as a community. The essence of this work is to advocate for a pathway to regain our sense of agency and to rebuild and renew our capacity to make meaningful choices in our lives. This book aims to provide realistic insights into where and how we lose our agency amid mechanistic successes.
The book delves into a deep analysis of ancient times and then shines a light on how the 19th-century efforts of progress steered us towards a Huxleyan "Brave New World." In this world, mechanistic and deterministic views have dominated our understanding of progress and success, often at the expense of our sense of agency and humanity. However, the narrative does not end there. "The Science of Agency" shifts focus towards our true place on a Consciousness Spectrum, the canvas on which God created all living beings. It explores how we can turn away from an overemphasis on mechanistic achievements and reconnect with our inherent agency and humanity.
The process of writing this book was both cathartic and enlightening. It allowed me to explore the depths of human resilience and how we can find strength amidst adversity. As I delved into the historical and philosophical underpinnings of agency, I found parallels between ancient struggles and modern challenges, highlighting the enduring nature of the human agency and above all God’s eternal and redeeming agency in Jesus Christ.
While writing "The Science of Agency," I aimed to offer readers a framework for understanding and reclaiming their own agency. This book is the product of a very deep and personal experience of the true devastation that flows from misplaced mechanistic agency, the importance of community, and the resilience of the sanctified human spirit in communion with God and our closest humanity. I hope that it will inspire others to navigate their challenges with renewed strength and purpose, finding ways to restore their agency and humanity in a world that often feels beyond their control.
This book is a deeply personal journey shaped by an overwhelming and profound revelation from God, it is a reflection on loss, resilience, and the ability to sanctify our place in a world that constantly tests our limits. It is my contribution to the ongoing dialogue about the importance of agency in shaping our destinies and our collective future and a reminder that our true place is not merely in the mechanistic achievements of the modern world but in the rich spectrum of consciousness that defines our ever-sanctifying humanity.
Kindle – ebook only:
The Science of Agency!: How science lost its edge and how to sharpen it.
https://www.amazon.com/Science-Agency-science-lost-sharpen-ebook/dp/B0CJNXTW99/
Kobo – ebook and audiobook:
The Science of Agency! Audiobook by Michael F.M. Pretorius - Free Sample | Rakuten Kobo South Africa
https://www.kobo.com/ZA/en/audiobook/the-science-of-agency-1
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