[From a post I made on the newsgroup alt.polyamory]
It seems like a simple enough question. Why do I want the human race to get its eggs out of one cosmological basket and spread to other planets? Why do I care what happens after I die? What difference does it make if the species succeeds or fails? What does it matter if we do not escape the earth by the time the sun dies? Is it a parenting instinct? A desire to see human civilization succeed? A bid for some sort of immortality?
For me, none of the above.
I appear to have no parenting instinct to speak of; apparently, that option wasn’t installed at the factory. Nor am I particularly up on human civilization, which I find flawed at best and ridiculous at worst. And I don’t want to be immortal though my work, through children, or through my species; I want to be immortal by not dying. 🙂
While I’m not particularly impressed by the vast bulk of humanity, I have a tremendus faith in the human potential: I see humanity in its current form as a beginning point, not an endpoint. I believe we have the potential to become something that is to our current civilization what current civilization is to Neanderthal civilization, and that many things we accept as a fixed and immutable part of the human condition–including death and even being fixed in the physical forms dictated by our biology–are actually not a necessary or permanent part of the definition of humanity at all.
Further, I do not see humanity as separate from the universe. I do not believe any part of the human soul or spirit comes from outside the universe; we are a part of the universe just as surely as comets, asteroids, and stars, but unlike comets, asteroids, and stars, we are that part of the universe which has the ability to comprehend itself–and to me, that gives us a value lacking in comets and asteroids.
It’s not us-in-our-current-form I want to see succeed; it’s those things which we have the potential to become. We have virtually limitless potential–potential that would be unrealized should life on this planet fail.
Yes, I do believe that we are not unique in the universe; there is almost certainly life elsewhere. However, it’s just as probably not like us, and in all probability is extremely different from us; that means that even if we are not unique in our ability to comprehend, we still have a unique *perspective* to offer…and that, too, has value.
If Earth dies, if we and our children die, what makes it matter that some branch of humankind is somewhere surviving?
Our ability to comprehend. We are that part of the universe which knows itself, and by extension, we are the way the universe can understand itself.
This is probably an argument that either makes sense to someone or it does not, and if it does not, I do not think I have the skill to explain it in a way that makes it accessible to someone who does not feel it. But there it is.
Well put. It seems that, as you are turning me toward evil, so I am turning you toward good.
So when all is said and done, you will both end up watered down mediocre versions of your former selves.
So when all is said and done, you will both end up watered down mediocre versions of your former selves.
Yeah, what the fuck? I want them to duke it out, not massage each other with excessive back patting. How else will I get supreme domain over the post apocalyptic playground they leave in their mutual destruction?
Umm.. what I meant to say was – Free sex for everyone!!
anklesnake said…
“Words, words words letters? Spaces words words words letters stuff, things more words letters words patting. words words letters characters words post apocalyptic words stuff things words words words letters.
Umm.. what I meant to say was – Free sex for everyone!!”
Yea!! Free sex!!!11oneone
Silence, petulant wench!
How fortunate for me, then, that I do not exist for your amusement! Run along and toy with your nanotubes, child- I’ll send for you when I desire a new plaything!
(OK, how’s that for growing evil? Did I come across as too evil? Too overbearing? Not maniacal enough? I’m new at this whole evil thing, so I’m going to need some practice to get it right.) 🙂
Silence, insolent fool!
By then you’ll be dead, either crushed by a robot or twisted in half by a super-monkey (just like a guinea pig!), so who cares what you think?
Good? Good? What is this “good” of which you speak?
I prefer to think of it as “It’s far more satisfying to subjegate and control the masses when they are intelligent and highly aware; subjegating and controlling knuckle-dragging troglodytes is too easy and not nearly as much fun.”
Giving them the tools to your own undoing. Excellent…
Lookee! I’m being EVIL!!! 🙂
Well put. It seems that, as you are turning me toward evil, so I am turning you toward good.
So when all is said and done, you will both end up watered down mediocre versions of your former selves.
Good? Good? What is this “good” of which you speak?
I prefer to think of it as “It’s far more satisfying to subjegate and control the masses when they are intelligent and highly aware; subjegating and controlling knuckle-dragging troglodytes is too easy and not nearly as much fun.”
So when all is said and done, you will both end up watered down mediocre versions of your former selves.
Yeah, what the fuck? I want them to duke it out, not massage each other with excessive back patting. How else will I get supreme domain over the post apocalyptic playground they leave in their mutual destruction?
Umm.. what I meant to say was – Free sex for everyone!!
anklesnake said…
“Words, words words letters? Spaces words words words letters stuff, things more words letters words patting. words words letters characters words post apocalyptic words stuff things words words words letters.
Umm.. what I meant to say was – Free sex for everyone!!”
Yea!! Free sex!!!11oneone
Our ability to comprehend. We are that part of the universe which knows itself, and by extension, we are the way the universe can understand itself.
That’s really lovely, Franklin. It makes total sense.
Our ability to comprehend. We are that part of the universe which knows itself, and by extension, we are the way the universe can understand itself.
That’s really lovely, Franklin. It makes total sense.
Silence, insolent fool!
By then you’ll be dead, either crushed by a robot or twisted in half by a super-monkey (just like a guinea pig!), so who cares what you think?
Silence, petulant wench!
How fortunate for me, then, that I do not exist for your amusement! Run along and toy with your nanotubes, child- I’ll send for you when I desire a new plaything!
(OK, how’s that for growing evil? Did I come across as too evil? Too overbearing? Not maniacal enough? I’m new at this whole evil thing, so I’m going to need some practice to get it right.) 🙂
Giving them the tools to your own undoing. Excellent…
Lookee! I’m being EVIL!!! 🙂
Well put. Hear! Hear!
Well put. Hear! Hear!
Some thoughts on the human condition
Interesting perspective. I think we probably ARE alone, but who’s to know? Not for quite some time yet, anyway.
I don’t think there is a need to fear that the human race will disappear in its entirety – I think that Nature is all about survival and she’ll come through in the end.
By the way, you probably DO have that parenting instinct hidden away there somewhere. You just haven’t awakened it yet. It’s part of most of us, just like anger and jealousy and all the rest. For some, it’s there already and for others, it comes after the event.
There is a saying related to not having a child, and given your interests, you may disagree strongly with it! 🙂 It’s just different pleasure, and different pain.
‘Have no pleasure, have no pain’
Interesting to read what you write, as always.
Some thoughts on the human condition
Interesting perspective. I think we probably ARE alone, but who’s to know? Not for quite some time yet, anyway.
I don’t think there is a need to fear that the human race will disappear in its entirety – I think that Nature is all about survival and she’ll come through in the end.
By the way, you probably DO have that parenting instinct hidden away there somewhere. You just haven’t awakened it yet. It’s part of most of us, just like anger and jealousy and all the rest. For some, it’s there already and for others, it comes after the event.
There is a saying related to not having a child, and given your interests, you may disagree strongly with it! 🙂 It’s just different pleasure, and different pain.
‘Have no pleasure, have no pain’
Interesting to read what you write, as always.