Evolutionary Philosophy
  • Home
  • Worldview
    • Epistemology
    • Metaphysics
    • Logic
    • Ethics
    • Politics
    • Aesthetics
  • Applied
    • Know Thyself
    • 10 Tenets
    • Survival of the Fittest Philosophers >
      • Ancient Philosophy (Pre 450 CE)
      • Medieval Philosophy (450-1600 CE)
      • Modern Philosophy (1600-1920 CE)
      • Contemporary Philosophy (Post 1920 CE)
    • 100 Thought Experiments
    • Elsewhere
  • Fiction
    • Draining the Swamp >
      • Further Q&A
    • Short Stories
    • The Vitanauts
  • Blog
  • Store
  • About
    • Purpose
    • My Evolution
    • Evolution 101
    • Philosophy 101

Where am I? And what can thyself know from that?

10/5/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
In the quest to know thyself through evolutionary philosophy, I kicked off the journey in the last post by examining our shared past. We all have a common answer to our shared question, "Where did I come from?" It is the modern origin story we all can use to trace our history back to the very beginning of the universe. Arriving now in the present, we can each take a look around ourselves and ask the next obvious question - "Where am I?" - and realize that we once again share a common answer to this question. In my blog post about tenet #3 of evolutionary philosophy, I used the great Pale Blue Dot segment from Carl Sagan to help give us a little perspective on this location. If you haven't seen that 5-minute video yet, or just want another reminder of the humbling but awesome view we now have of our place in the universe, go check it out now. Once you've got that in mind, the main points I make in this short segment of evolutionary philosophy are pretty straightforward. In the main text of the philosophy, I say we are:

  • On One Planet in Our Universe (Astrophysics)
  • The greatest existential threat to our species on a planetary level is from the impact of an asteroid. We must develop means to detect and prevent this from occurring. And since that may fail, we must also develop the means to get off our planet and survive elsewhere.
  • From what we know about Earth, life is abundant once it has begun. The enormous number of places in the universe indicates that life elsewhere is probable. The search for extra-terrestrial life is instructive to both know our own place better, and to find other places to live.

  • In One Sliver of Suitable Atmosphere on the Planet (Environmentalism)
  • We have evolved to live in only a relatively small environment on Earth. We must do what we can to preserve the air, water, and land of that environment. No profits can ever outweigh the cost of the long-term degradation of this impossibly precious commons. We need strong regulation and enforcement of industrial pollutants and a sustainable economy built upon renewable energy.

  • Enmeshed in One Ecosystem in the Atmosphere (Ecology, Zoology)
  • We have evolved to occupy a niche in a complex ecosystem of animals. Our survival is supported by microbes, insects, fish, birds, mammals, and plants to a degree not yet fully understood. We must tread cautiously on that life so as not to unwittingly step on our own throats. We must preserve wild spaces and wild species, both on land and in the sea.

  • Immersed in a Global Human Society (Sociology)
  • We have evolved into a tightly knit social species. The more we diversify, specialize, and trade, the happier our lives and the stronger our chances for survival. Society functions best when its individuals emphasize cooperation over competition. Life is not a zero-sum game and the “kill or be killed” mindset no longer applies to modern society. We need to educate citizens about this and help them find a productive place in society. We must recognize that individuals can contribute great talent and ideas, but the formation of society is what allows the production of enormous wealth. We must allow access to information and the means of production to anyone who wants to learn and has a good idea. We must establish good governments whose purpose is to enable all this to occur.

There are some strong recommendations in here for a wide variety of fields: space exploration, environmental regulation, ecological conservation, sociological education, economic policy, even political formation. All of these are tied together though and all of them are the logical result of the answers we find to one simple question. Where am I? Know this about yourself - and I mean know this in totality, not just in some local and temporary way - and the much wider worldview that results will lead to the formation of vital understandings that are consistent with our place in the universe and the way we can survive and thrive here.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe to Help Shape This Evolution

    SUBSCRIBE

    RSS Feed


    Blog Philosophy

    This is where ideas mate to form new and better ones. Please share yours respectfully...or they will suffer the fate of extinction!


    Archives

    January 2023
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    May 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    April 2012


    Click to set custom HTML
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.