The earthworm view is the embedded, situated stance, sensing the vibrations of the soil from inside, against the bird's eye view of cybernetics and complexity science. By 2026 the cosmic earthworm had become something like our species-dharma. I'm more worm than eagle, and proud of it.
How the word moved
In June 2020 my Weltist, the worldmaker, was more worm than eagle. In February 2025 I used the move from the Bird's Eye View to the Earthworm's View to explain why complexity science had stopped convincing me. In March and April 2026 it became a way of navigating polyconflict from inside, burrowing into the soil of an alien planet. In July 2026 I set the cosmic earthworm against the cosmic eagle.
In my words
"They are more worm than eagle."
from The Weltist, 20 Jun 2020
"we need the earthworm’s view; embedded, grounded, sensing the vibrations of the soil"
from The Pauper: Polyconflicts are back., 20 Mar 2026
Related
- Contradicts Polycrisis - Polycrisis is the bird's eye view of complexity science.
- Related Weltist - The Weltist is the worm-like worldmaker.
- Related Planetary Alterity - Burrowing is how you meet an alien planet.
- Related Three Ages of Systems Theory - The third age of systems theory needs the worm.
- Related Pauper - It's the Pauper's vantage point.
Still open
I also call for planetary-scale sensing and computation, which is a satellite's view if there ever was one. I've flagged that as the fundamental contradiction of spatial planetarity, and I haven't resolved it.