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Recognising the underlying (Darwinian) nature of our civilisation
Following publication of Darwin's "On the
Origin of Species" and "The Descent of Man", it didn't take long for
most people to accept (because those in academic authority did) that humans are descended from apes, or, more correctly, have a relatively
recent common ancestor with them (and progressively less recent common
ancestors with other forms of life, primates, mammals, vertebrates,
etc.). What academics, and thus no one else, did not accept, or even
recognise, was the extent to which we are still are apes, dominated by emotions, behaviour
patterns and a very limited ability to form accurate interpretations
of reality, which evolved long before the advent of civilisation, which
itself became the central part of man's environment, to be exploited in a misplaced
continuation of powerful individuals' Darwinian struggle for survival
and "success", and which the state and the economy (now most
efficiently as free-market consumer-capitalism) developed specifically to
facilitate.
We deceive ourselves into believing that
state and economy developed primarily to serve society (because it does
serve those in power, wealth and privilege, including
academics, who determine our view of
ourselves), but in fact their primary purpose is to facilitate its
exploitation. They serve society in the same way that a shepherd serves
his flock: not the flock's sake, but for his own (and/or employer's)
sake (although he may feel genuine concern for a lost or injured lamb),
for the wool and meat that the flock provides, for his own use, but
primarily for the market, of course.
Man's limited ability to form accurate
interpretations of reality has been greatly improved by the development
of science, at least in so far as our interpretations (models) of
material reality are concerned. Our interpretations (models) of
individual human, political and social reality, however, are as
inadequate and far from the truth as they ever were. This is why we fail
to recognise the true (Darwinian) nature and thus inherent
injustice, inhumanity and non-sustainability of western civilisation,
which - as it has developed and is currently structured - represents an
evolutionary cul-de-sac, which our species will soon go extinct in,
unless we recognise it and find a way out.
As important as Darwin's BIG idea has been for our understanding of life on Earth (and presumably the universe), its even greater importance for understanding ourselves and the civilisation we have created has yet to be recognised. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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