The human potential
I may have mentioned in an earlier post my fascination with the human species and it’s philosophical and intellectual evolution. For clarification philosophical also encompasses the species spiritual /religious growth, as it pertains to one’s approach to life. Throughout it’s history humans (through his innovations) have made great strives through it’s intellectual and technological evolution in improving and even prolonging their life span, with advancements over the last 100 years being greater than it’s total accomplishments before. Just think ,taking in account as man’s intellectual grows, so will his technology ,and where this may lead in say another 100-200 years, and even beyond…………….
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Beginning to wonder, as technology progresses whether Zager & Evans got it right in their song “In the year 2525”
There may well be some real sociological and moral decisions to be made in the near future. Here’s a few I’ve pondered:
1. What if human cloning becomes viable – is it ethical to reproduce in this way? What about the concept of a human soul – does that transfer into a clone?
2. Then there’s longevity. Just because we may be able to extend human lifespans greatly one day doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right thing to do. If people live for four, five times longer (and let’s assume they have a vigorous and healthy lifespan otherwise there really is no point) then what does that do to the already overburdened world population. Who makes the decision about whether person A. has the right to live for five hundred years over person B. who does not?
3. Artificial Intelligence – is it really a good idea to elevate computers to a level where they become vastly more ‘intelligent’ then humans? Scientists are fairly certain we will achieve this singularity some time in the future. What would a logic-driven super-intelligent machine conclude if it examined the human race with all its aggression and disease and squandering of natural resources?
4. And lastly there’s bio-enginering. People ‘tinkered’ with inside the womb so that there are no more genetic imperfections, and everyone is born with a body and brain that maximises their full potential. Sounds great on the face of it, but if humans can evolve to be ‘perfect’ beings, what’s stopping the sort of tinkering that creates super-soldiers, or engineered sociopaths? I suspect there might be a Have v Have Not schism in the human race if we follow this road without planning ahead.
Elois and Morlocks. Maybe H. G. wells was more of a visionary than we suspected.
Scientists often ask “Can we?” they should be asking “Should we?”
Gender will never determine the success and/or abilities of a leader, especially when the entire species is quilty of greed/corruption and/or ambition. Gender will never determine a qualified leader for leadership comes from within and one’s morals will determine what path they take.
peace
“man’s pollution”
“man’s control”
“humans (through his innovations)”
“man’s intellectual”
“his technology”
….. yes indeed, IT’S TIME FOR WOMEN TO RULE THE WORLD!!
While I see your point about the emphasis on the male, I would add that I’ve known a few women whom I could only describe (being reasonably polite about it) as a boil on the backside of the planet, lol
We differ from the monkeys by only 1% of our DNA. That 1% has taken us to most of the planets in our solar system. We’ve even landed on comets!! That 1% difference is absoultly amazing.
Can you image what would happen if we “evolve” another 1%? That evolved man would consider us the monkey. Issue is do we “evolve” in spurts or will it take hundreds of thousands of years?