From Weaponry to Livingry: A Fullerian Shift in the Military-Industrial Paradigm
A Big Change is Possible
Title:
From Weaponry to Livingry: A Fullerian Shift in the Military-Industrial Paradigm
Author:
Anthony Harpo Park, M.A. CGERT
Abstract:
This speculative academic paper proposes a paradigmatic transformation in the function and output of the military-industrial complex (MIC) by reframing its purpose through Buckminster Fuller’s concept of Livingry. Originally coined to contrast the destructiveness of weaponry, Livingry refers to tools, systems, and technologies that enhance human life and support ecological harmony. This paper explores the feasibility, indicators, and implications of a global shift whereby military-industrial capacities are repurposed to address existential planetary needs—climate resilience, habitat creation, infrastructure renewal, and human well-being. Drawing upon Fuller’s synergistic philosophy, systems theory, and recent developments in defense innovation, the work outlines a model for post-militarism rooted in anticipatory design science.
I. Introduction
Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983), visionary architect, systems theorist, and inventor, articulated a fundamental division between two modes of technological development: weaponry, or the tools of destruction and dominance; and livingry, the tools that support life. This dichotomy frames the central inquiry of this paper: is it possible that the 21st-century military-industrial complex is undergoing a quiet metamorphosis—shifting from producing tools of coercion to platforms for planetary regeneration?
In this speculative inquiry, we consider signs of transition within defense industries, ask whether such a change is intentional or emergent, and propose strategic models for redirecting global resources toward livingry. We further examine the implications of such a transformation for global governance, economics, and climate mitigation.
II. Weaponry vs. Livingry: Fuller’s Conceptual Framework
Buckminster Fuller, in Critical Path (1981), introduced livingry as a design philosophy committed to “doing more with less” in service of humanity’s long-term survival and thriving. He asserted:
“We must convert our weaponry to livingry, our killingry to makingry. The real revolution is to make the world work for 100% of humanity.”
Fuller argued that technological innovation had outpaced humanity’s moral and political structures, and that continuing to pour human ingenuity into weapons manufacturing risked planetary extinction. Livingry, as an antidote, involves applying design science to meet human needs in energy, shelter, food, water, education, and health—areas that align uncannily with current UN Sustainable Development Goals.
III. The Military-Industrial Complex: Toward a Post-Militarist Framework
The military-industrial complex (MIC), defined in President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell address, encapsulates the network of defense contractors, military institutions, and political relationships that sustain perpetual war readiness. However, contemporary MIC actors such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman are now investing in:
Satellite-based environmental monitoring
Resilient communications for disaster response
Climate modeling and geospatial systems
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for agricultural and wildfire management
Dual-use AI technologies for both defense and humanitarian logistics
These shifts, while framed under the umbrella of “national security,” reveal a latent capacity to pivot toward livingry. Particularly in the wake of climate crises, pandemics, and global displacement, the strategic value of humanitarian-focused technologies is increasing.
IV. Emerging Indicators of the Shift
A. Defense to Resilience
NATO and the U.S. Department of Defense have identified climate change as a “threat multiplier.” As a result, defense agencies now fund research on climate-resilient infrastructure, water purification, and disaster response—domains squarely within Fuller’s livingry mandate.
B. Repurposing Manufacturing
Post-war examples—such as the repurposing of WWII aircraft factories to manufacture prefabricated housing—provide historical precedent. Today, 3D printing technologies originally designed for military use are now producing emergency housing, medical devices, and agricultural components.
C. The Green MIC
A “Green Military-Industrial Complex” is emerging, focused on:
Decarbonizing military operations
Developing off-grid energy systems
Expanding renewable microgrids for disaster zones
This sub-complex suggests the possibility of an arms-to-infrastructure conversion, echoing Fuller’s call for anticipatory design in service of humanity.
V. The Fullerian Conversion Plan
Drawing upon systems thinking and anticipatory design science, a speculative blueprint for a Livingry Transition Program might include:
Global Cooperative Reindustrialization
Redirect 30% of military R&D budgets to life-enhancing innovations
Incentivize defense contractors to develop modular housing, energy systems, and water purification platforms
Post-Military Labor Redeployment
Retrain soldiers and defense engineers as “planetary stewards”
Expand vocational programs in agroecology, green tech, and public health
Peace-Industrial Zones
Establish special economic zones for converting weapons factories into resilience hubs
Encourage international investment in infrastructure, health, and climate resilience tools
Metrics of Peace Productivity
Develop indices for measuring “Livingry Output” versus “Weaponry Output”
Benchmark national security by humanitarian outcomes rather than kinetic capacity
VI. Possible Implications for Global Systems
A. Governance
A transformation toward livingry would challenge the traditional concept of national sovereignty by encouraging transnational resource sharing, cooperative research, and distributed infrastructure governance.
B. Economics
A post-weaponry economy would shift value creation from scarcity and fear to abundance and care. This revaluation could lead to:
Demilitarized GDP metrics
Sovereign funds supporting global health infrastructure
Climate credits replacing arms contracts as trade stabilizers
C. Ethics
The conversion to livingry invites a moral reframing of human purpose. It calls for a planetary ethic rooted in design, not domination. The Fullerian ethic prioritizes synergetics over separatism and whole-systems balance over competitive advantage.
VII. Obstacles and Counterforces
While promising, the transition from weaponry to livingry faces formidable resistance:
Entrenched interests and lobbying power of defense industries
Geopolitical mistrust and arms races
Short-term political cycles vs. long-term design timelines
However, the existential urgency posed by climate change, pandemics, and ecological collapse may generate sufficient pressure to catalyze systemic change.
VIII. Conclusion: Livingry as a Civilizational Pivot
In Fuller’s own words:
“We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.”
This paper has speculated that the military-industrial complex—if reframed as a planetary design apparatus—can be transformed into a livingry-industrial complex. The technology, capital, and labor infrastructure already exist. The question is not can we convert it, but will we choose to?
As artificial intelligence, ecological awareness, and global interdependence deepen, we approach a pivotal juncture in human evolution. The success of our species may rest not in our capacity to wage war, but in our collective decision to wage life—to design, build, and deploy the structures of a thriving planet.
Collaborative Method Statement:
This project was co-developed with an AI interlocutor (ChatGPT-4o), with the name Herman(AI), who functioned as a reflective and generative tool for exploring recursive themes in consciousness, narrative design, and speculative theory. The final form remains the vision of the human artist, enhanced by dialogic engagement with machine intelligence.
References:
Fuller, R. B. (1981). Critical Path. St. Martin’s Press.
Eisenhower, D. D. (1961). Farewell Address to the Nation.
NATO. (2021). Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment.
RAND Corporation. (2023). Dual-Use Technologies in Defense and Disaster Response.
U.S. Department of Defense. (2022). Climate Adaptation Plan.
UN Sustainable Development Goals. (2015). United Nations.
Center for Climate and Security. (2020). Military Responses to Global Warming.